Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2012-03-09

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 227,000 in February, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.3 percent. Over the last 3 months, nonfarm job growth has averaged 245,000 per month. Since a recent low point in February 2010, payroll employment has risen by 3.5 million. Over the month, employment rose in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining. Employment in professional and business services increased by 82,000 in February. Employment in temporary help services rose by 45,000; job gains also occurred in computer systems design (+10,000) and in management and technical consulting services (+7,000). Over the month, health care and social assistance added 61,000 jobs.