US likely to report another month of solid hiring for Feb.

The latest employment snapshot is expected to bolster the perception that U.S. workers have been largely insulated from a global slowdown.

The Labor Department releases February data Friday and a FactSet survey of economists forecasts that employers added a solid 195,000 jobs last month, up from the 151,000 added in January.

Unemployment is expected to remain at 4.9 percent.

Hiring by construction companies, retailers and health care providers has offset layoffs at manufacturers and fossil fuel companies which have felt the squeeze of international uncertainty.

Consumers have provided the foundation for much of the job market's improvement in what's become something of a self-sustaining cycle.

The 2.7 million workers hired in the past 12 months have bolstered spending on autos, housing and meals out. As unemployment has dropped, more companies have begun to raise pay to attract workers.

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