It’s Not All Bad News Behind Highest US Jobless Rate Since 2022

The US employment rate climbed to a two-year high in February. It’s a setback for those who lost their jobs, but it hardly signaled doom and gloom in the labor market.

To be considered unemployed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a person has to be actively trying to find work — otherwise they’re not part of the labor force at all. Last month, there was a big jump in people coming off the sideline to join the workforce — both for the first time and those trying again — helping boost the jobless rate to 3.9%, the highest since ...