The US economy lost 5.7 million jobs in February, a new quarterly report showed.
The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the employment loss was mainly due to a decline in the number of workers hired.
The Bureau said that the total number of employed Americans declined by a record 4.9 million people, a record high.
In the fourth quarter, the unemployment rate fell to 7.3%, the lowest since the Great Depression.
The unemployment rate for those under age 25 declined by 2.1%, and those over age 25 by 3.2%.
The unemployment level fell to 5.8% for all age groups.
The number of job openings declined by 1.7%, but the number who were hired rose by 873,000.
For the fourth month in a row, the number and percentage of workers employed dropped in February.
For people who have been out of the labor force for more than two years, the drop was less dramatic, with employment dropping by 0.4% for the period.
The decline in employment in February is a reversal from the previous month.
On February 15, the labor market was in a robust expansion phase with the economy adding almost 400,000 jobs in the previous three months.
The labor market recovered in March, when the unemployment level dropped to 5% and the unemployment number was at its lowest point since the depths of the Great Recession.
The last time the unemployment fell in February was during the Great War in 1917.
The economy added a record 7.7 Million jobs in March.
The job gains in March were driven by an increase in private payrolls, a strong economy and a rebound in manufacturing, with exports growing the most.
The private payroll jobs added were mostly in health care and retail.
The overall unemployment rate increased by 2,400 people in February to 7%.