The unemployment rate remained at 8.3 percent after a gain of 227,000 jobs this February, according to the monthly report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning. This marks the third month in a row where the economy gained more than 200,000 jobs, a streak we haven't seen since early 2011.
The best news in the report was a substantial upward revision from December and Janaury's jobs numbers-61,000 more jobs were added during those months than originally thought. The economy isn't adding enough jobs to improve at a rapid pace, but three months of steady growth shows we're heading in the right direction. After the report's release, Craig Dismuke, chief economic strategist at Vining Sparks, told Reuters, "This is a healthy number. It confirms that the labor market is gradually improving. I also liked the revisions. All in all, it's really a positive report."
The Latest
- Consumers Shape Up Their Finances The Wall Street Journal
- Obama unveils new foreclosure measures to resuscitate housing market The Washington Post
- The Bull Market Turns Three. Where's the Party?Bloomberg Businessweek
- Greek Debt Is Restructured in Deal With Lenders The New York Times
Chart of the Day
The second Women's Economic Opportunity survey was just released, detailing the best places for women in terms of economic opportunity across 128 countries. Sweden topped the charts, while Sudan was ranked the worst place. The United States pulled a not-so-remarkable 14th place.
Reason to Get Out of Bed in the Morning
When Marilyn Hagerty wrote a review of the new Olive Garden in Grand Forks, she took the internet by storm. The review veteran-who also reviewed Taco Bell-doesn't understand all the attention. Don't try to call her for an interview-she's on deadline.
