WASHINGTON, March 9: US employers added 97,000 jobs in February, the Labour Department reported on Friday, suggesting the world's biggest economy is still expanding despite weakness in the housing and auto sectors.

Analysts say the US economy needs to generate between 110,000 and 130,000 jobs each month to absorb new entrants to the labour market. But because monthly figures can be uneven, most economists look to a longer term trend. "Job gains continue to be centred in the service sector with solid gains in business services, education and leisure and hospitality. On the wage front, earnings were up 4.1 per cent, enough to maintain Fed inflation concerns."—AFP