The rate for African-Americans fell to 6.9 percent, near a record low of 6.8 percent reached in December. Still, the unemployment rate for African-Americans remains stubbornly higher than the rates for other racial and ethnic groups.
The unemployment rate for those who have served in the armed forces anytime since September 2001 dropped to 3.3 percent, matching a record low from December.
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Younger Americans in their early 20s also enjoyed a good month in the job market. Their jobless rate fell to 6.8 percent, the lowest level since 2000.
All told, employers added 313,000 jobs in February.
The data for demographic groups came from a survey of households that is part of the Labor Department's monthly jobs report.
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| Unemployment rate by group: | |||
| (Numbers in percentages) | February 2018 | January 2018 | February 2017 |
| White | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| Black | 6.9 | 7.7 | 8.1 |
| Asian | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino ethnicity** | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.6 |
| Adult men | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Adult women | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
| Teenagers | 14.4 | 13.9 | 14.9 |
| 20-24 years old | 6.8 | 7.4 | 7.9 |
| 25-54 years old | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| 55 and over | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
| Veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan* | 3.3 | 4.1 | 4.6 |
| No high school diploma | 5.7 | 5.4 | 7.6 |
| High school graduate | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.9 |
| Some college | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
| College graduate | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| Duration of Unemployment: | |||
| Average length (weeks) | 22.9 | 24.1 | 25.1 |
| Jobless 6 months or more (pct.) | 20.7 | 21.5 | 23.5 |
| *Not seasonally adjusted | |||
| **Includes all races | |||
| Source: Labor Department |
