US unemployment rate falls sharply in February
![](http://cubasi.cu/sites/default/files/styles/slider/public/imagenes/legado/en/G5/8ea3a9955ab7af56f05a066d50f83ca0_XL.jpg?itok=mQMzYuh6)
Initial jobless claims fell 11 percent to 289,000 in the week ending March 7. The previous week’s level was revised up by 5,000 to 325,000.
“Harsher-than-usual winter weather likely boosted the level in the previous two weeks,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics, in a research note.
“We doubt the underlying trend in claims has changed significantly. A sub-300K trend in claims implies continued strong employment growth and no let-up in the downtrend in the unemployment rate.”
In February, the unemployment rate fell two tenths of a point to 5.5 percent, the lowest rate since May 2008, on another month of solid job growth.
The four-week moving average of jobless claims, which helps to smooth week-over-week volatility fell by 3,750 to 302,250, the Labor Department said. A year ago, the claims average was 331,250.
Add new comment