The United States lost 92,000 jobs in February 2026. That's not a typo. In a single month. Private employers cited the "DOGE impact" as the direct reason for 63,583 of those layoffs — technology firms, nonprofits, and service providers suddenly cut off from long-standing federal contracts and grants. Meanwhile the national average gas price hit $3.96 per gallon — up 35% from a month ago, driven by Trump's Iran war shutting down Strait of Hormuz oil shipments.
Who's Actually Getting Hurt.
The unemployment numbers break down in a way that tells you exactly who's absorbing the cost of this administration's recklessness. The overall unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4% in February. But the white unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.7%. Meanwhile the Black unemployment rate hit 7.7% — more than double the white rate. Latino and Asian unemployment rates also rose. Total job growth over the last 14 months has been just 150,000. That's not a golden age. That's barely keeping the lights on.
DOGE fired federal workers. Those workers stopped spending. The businesses that served them laid off private employees. Those private employers cited "DOGE impact" in their filings. The chain reaction is documented and it leads directly back to one place.
The Gas Prices Are the Iran War. The Iran War Is a Choice.
The $3.96 national average isn't random bad luck. Gas was roughly $2.93/gallon before February 28 — the day Trump and Israel launched the Iran war. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil and gas. Iran has blockaded it. Oil hit $119 per barrel. The International Energy Agency's head said the disruption is worse than the combined oil crises of 1973 and 1979 combined.
Trump chose this war. His Cabinet cheered it. And now you're paying for it at the pump every single day.
At His Cabinet Meeting, They Called It a Success.
At this week's Cabinet meeting — the same one where Trump defended voting by mail — Cabinet secretaries "near-unilaterally praised the work of DOGE." Trump said he'd be "pretty much satisfied" with the cuts in a few months. He described the federal government as "riddled with fat" that they're "getting rid of."
92,000 jobs in one month. $3.96 gas. A Black unemployment rate double the white rate. But sure. Getting rid of the fat. Going great.
This post distinguishes between documented facts, allegations, and analysis. Where motive, intent, corruption, or illegality remains disputed in the public record, the text attributes that judgment to court findings, official records, direct quotes, or the reporting linked below.
- Chicago Sun-Times: 92,000 jobs lost in February; 63,583 private-sector layoffs citing DOGE impact; Black unemployment 7.7%.
- Fox News: Gas at $3.96/gallon nationally, up 35% in one month.
- Fortune: Trump Cabinet praises DOGE cuts; Trump says he'll be "pretty much satisfied" soon.