The Employment Situation: February 2000 — 2000-03-03

The unemployment rate was little changed in February at 4.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Payroll employment edged up by 43,000 following a large increase in January (384,000). Average hourly earnings increased by 4 cents over the month and by 3.6 percent over the year. Both the number of unemployed persons (5.8 million) and the unemployment rate (4.1 percent) were about unchanged in February. The jobless rate has been below 4.2 percent for 5 consecutive months. Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for teenagers increased to 14.1 percent in February, about the same level as in December. Unemployment rates for adult men (3.4 percent), adult women (3.5 percent), whites (3.6 percent), blacks (7.8 percent), and Hispanics (5.7 percent) were little changed over the month.