BRASILIA, March 16 (Reuters) - Brazil added a net 35,612 payroll jobs in February, President Michel Temer said on Thursday, in the first month of job creation since March 2015 after two years of a harsh recession in Latin America’s largest economy.

Temer, who has struggled to improve his popularity after taking office last year, announced the results during a press conference at the presidential palace. Payroll job growth data are normally published by the Labor Ministry. (Reporting by Marcela Ayres and Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Silvio Cascione; Editing by Daniel Flynn)