Unemployment Rate Falls Below 9% for First Time Since 2009

The U.S. unemployment rate fell below 9% in February for the first time in almost two years as employers added 192,000 jobs, the Labor Department said Friday.

The trucking industry added 11,200 new jobs to its payrolls, the biggest gain in recent months, Labor figures showed.

The rate drop, from 9% in January to 8.9% in February, was the first time it has been below 9% since April 2009.

The overall boost in payrolls followed a 63,000 increase in January that was more than the 36,000 originally reported.

The Labor Department also boosted December’s payroll additions to 152,000, from a previously reported 121,000 increase.

February’s 192,000-jobs gain was about in line with economists’ forecasts, Bloomberg reported. The unemployment rate was forecast to rise to 9.1%.

Besides trucking, employment also rose in manufacturing, construction and temporary help agencies, while state and local government payrolls declined.