192,000 new US jobs in February

Washington: Employers in the US added 192,000 workers in February, amid an improving economy and more seasonable weather, and the unemployment rate unexpectedly declined to 8.9%, the lowest level since April 2009.

The gain in payrolls follows a 63,000 increase in January and compares with the 196,000 median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, Labour Department figures showed in Washington. Employment rose in manufacturing, construction and temporary help agencies, while state and local government payrolls slumped.