Nation’s unemployment rate ticks down

After two months of increases, the U.S. unemployment rate ticked down to 4.7 percent in February.

The jobless rate was 4.8 percent in January and 4.7 percent in December. The 4.6 percent rate in November was the lowest level since 2007, according to a news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency’s data is not seasonally adjusted.

Last month, total nonfarm employment rose by 235,000 jobs. Leading industries were:
    •    construction, at 58,000 jobs;
    •    professional and business services, 37,000;
    •    private educational services, 29,000;
    •    manufacturing, 28,000;
    •    health care, 27,000; and
    •    mining, 8,000.

Offsetting the increase were retail trade, which lost 26,000 jobs; 19,000 jobs lost at sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores; and a decrease of 8,000 at appliance stores, according to the release.


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