Unemployment Rate Stayed At 8.3 Percent In February

There were 227,000 net jobs added to private and public payrolls last month and the nation's unemployment rate remained unchanged, at 8.3 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported.

We'll have more from the report shortly. And watch for the Planet Money blog to add its take later.

Update at 8:50 a.m. ET. Some Comparisons:

-- Since February 2011, private employers have added about 2.2 million jobs to their payrolls.

-- In the first two months of 2012, private employers have added about 518,000 jobs to their payrolls.

-- The jobless rate in February 2011 was 9 percent.

Update at 8:40 a.m. ET. More From The Report:

-- "Private-sector employment grew by 233,000, with job gains in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining."

-- "The number of unemployed persons, at 12.8 million, was essentially unchanged in February."

-- "There were 1.0 million discouraged workers in February, about the same as a year earlier. ... Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them."

-- There were "job gains in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining. ... Professional and business services added 82,000 jobs in February. ... Manufacturing employment rose by 31,000 in February."

-- "The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 34.5 hours in February."

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