Unemployment falls to 7.7 pct., 236K jobs addded - WNCT | 9 On Your Side Greenville NC & Eastern NC News

Noisy construction sites are becoming music to the ears of unemployed Americans. A rise in building is fueling a hiring boom. The industry added 48,000 jobs in February, the biggest one month gain in six years.

Construction led the way in a better than expected jobs report. There were also big improvements in manufacturing and the retail industry.

Altogether, employers added more than a quarter million jobs in February, cutting the unemployment rate to 7.7% , the lowest level in four years.

The construction industry is expected to keep growing. That's good news for the economy, but many Americans are still struggling to find work.

Chris Borras has been going on job interviews since he was let go from a financial services firm a year ago. He's one of nearly 5 million Americans who've been out of work for more than six months.

It's the long term unemployed who are having the hardest time finding a new job.

Borras says competition in the financial industry is fierce. He's hoping the improved economy will encourage companies to increase hiring.

Private companies are hiring, but the government is laying off workers. Federal and state companies cut 10,000 jobs last month.