Unemployment Rate Lower In February

The nation’s jobless rate has drifted below 9% for the first time in two years, according to data released on Friday by the U.S. Labor Department.

With 192,000 jobs added in February, the national unemployment rate for the month was 8.9%. Most analysts had predicted that the number would be slightly higher. The last time the U.S had unemployment under 9% was February 2009.

The manufacturing, construction and service-providing industries made the biggest gains in hiring last month. 34,000 jobs were added in the health care field, as well. Government payrolls, meanwhile, were reduced by 30,000 for the month.

“Today’s news that unemployment fell and we added nearly two hundred thousand jobs is more proof that as our economy continues to bounce back, we need to do stay focused on creating jobs and protecting our fragile recovery,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

The latest report shows that the jobless rate has been reduced by 1.7% since reaching a high of 10.6% in January 2010. In total, the nation’s economy has added a total of 1.3 million jobs over the past twelve months. However, 13.7 million eligible Americans remain out of work.

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