San Diego County's 7 percent unemployment rate in February remained unchanged from a revised figure from January, but is below the estimated 8.1 percent at the same time a year ago, the state Employment Development Department announced Friday.
Statewide, the unemployment rate last month was 8 percent, and a 6.7 percent rate for the nation.
The San Diego region gained 9,500 nonfarm jobs in February and 27,700 positions over the year, according to the EDD.
The largest gain over the month was in the professional and business services industry, which added 3,200 jobs. More than 90 percent of those were in professional, scientific and technical services.
Jobs were lost in construction, financial activities and in trade, transportation and utilities, state officials said.
In February, 110,700 San Diegans were without work in a labor force of nearly 1.6 million people. At the same time last year, 128,500 were unemployed, according to the EDD.
