Unemployment rate drops despite sequestration

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Good evening I'm Chris Wallace -- for Brett -- -- much hype one up to the march 1 -- Questar cuts apparently did not scare off employers after all.

February jobs numbers were stronger than expected White House correspondent Wendell -- -- tonight's top story.

The 246000.

Private sector jobs created in February were spread evenly across the economy.

With 48000 in construction 32000 in the health care industry and 73000.

In professional and business services.

They offset the loss of 101000 teachers and other government workers.

And push the unemployment rate down to seven point 7%.

Its lowest level in four years present at the White House the good news it erupted months of warning about the impact of the sequester we're starting to gain traction.

And it's time.

For politicians in Washington to work across the aisle to put in place policies that will support.

Not inhibit that recovery in fact officials had warned concerns about the sequester held the economy back at the end of last year but economists -- shirt says no.

GDP was down because there was less government spending.

However the private sector growth was still -- -- robust.

The strong jobs report prompted relatively little comment from Republicans on Capitol Hill.

House speaker John Boehner said any job creation is positive news but he added in a written statement quote.

The fact is unemployment in America is still way above the levels the Obama White House projected when the trillion dollar stimulus spending bill was enacted.

And while retiring baby boomers dropping out of the labor market actually helps keep the jobless rate down.

So does the high number of people who've been out of work so long they've stopped looking.

-- even though the unemployment rate has come down the employment rate has not come out.

The labor market is simply not a stronger -- we needed today and certainly not as strong as any idea what -- congress running policy makers want to today.

In fact the labor force participation rate which peaked under President Clinton in the first year of the George W Bush Administration has fallen to a 31 year low.

But the long term job strand according to the president's aides it's positive.

Today's reports on the other indicators that have been coming in show us that the recovery is gaining traction.

We've now.

Added private sector jobs every month for the last three years total of six point four million over that period.

They'd say that is not enough to satisfy the president -- it's certainly not enough to satisfy his critics who say twenty million Americans are either having to settle for part time jobs.

Or are out of work altogether and even at February's rate of job growth.

Many will stay that way for years Chris.

Wendell Goler reporting from the White House Wendell thanks for that.

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Unemployment rate drops despite sequestration

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