Jobless rate declines

Unemployment in the United States dropped 0.1 percent in February, to 7.3 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday. Continued strength of the US economy created nearly 300,000 new jobs -- mostly in service, as opposed to manufacturing, industries. The actual number of unemployed Americans, however, remained about the same, and joblessness among black workers rose 1.4 percent. Analysts have predicted joblessness will drop to 7 percent or lower this summer but then edge upward later in the year.