Jobless rate hits record low for Hispanic Americans

The unemployment rate for most major demographic groups fell in February, with the rate for Hispanic and Latino Americans hitting a record low of 4.3 percent.

It wasn't entirely good news. More Hispanic and Latino Americans stopped look for work, so they weren't classified as unemployed. The government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively looking for a job. When fewer people seek a job, the unemployment rate often declines.

In addition, the jobless rate for African-Americans, which hit a record low of 5.9 percent in May and has frequently been celebrated by President Donald Trump, rose for a third straight month in February to 7 percent, its highest point in more than a year.

The Labor Department said Friday that employers added just 20,000 jobs overall last month. The unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent from 4 percent in January.

Last month, the unemployment rate fell partly because thousands of federal workers had been temporarily counted as unemployed in January during the partial government shutdown, which ended Jan. 25. Once these workers returned to their jobs, they were again counted as employed in February.

The data for demographic groups came from a survey of households that is part of the Labor Department's monthly jobs report.