Jobless Claims Hits 4-Year Low, Fed's Business Index Highest Level Since June 2010

The unemployment rate held steady for February at 8.5% despite increased jobs numbers as reported last week.  This was caused by more individuals coming back into the labor market seeking jobs.  The U6 unemployment rate (which includes people who stopped searching for employment) actually dropped.

State Unemployment Claims

"This suggests that the recovery is firmly on track," said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The consumer price index increased 0.4% last month driven by increased fuel prices. Food prices actually dropped for the third straight month.

For more details on the data click here.

Unemployment rate drops to 8.3% on strong jobs numbers!

The US economy created 243,000 jobs in January dropping the unemployment rate to 8.3%. Even better were the revised November and December numbers that increased by 50,000 jobs. The biggest gains were in the professional and business service category. The markets have responded favorably as all currently experiencing over 1.0% gains.

For more details head over to CNNMoney.