“In February, job losses were large and widespread across nearly all major industry sectors,” the Labor Department said.

In February, the manufacturing sector shed 168,000 jobs while the construction industry lost 104,000 jobs. The service industry slashed 375,000 jobs while employment in the retail trade industry fell by 40,000 during the month.

Professional and business services shed 180,000 jobs while financial companies reduced payrolls by 44,000. Leisure and hospitality firms cut 33,000 positions.

Only government, education and health services added jobs last month.

The weakness in the labor market comes as the economic recession deepens. In the final quarter of 2008, the economy contracted at an annual rate of 6.2 percent, the worst showing in a quarter-century.

The economy will probably continue to shrink during the first six months of this year, economists said.