The job outlook is brightening for younger workers, who were hit hard in the recession and play a vital role in the economy.
Jobs for 25-to-34-year-olds increased by 116,000 to 30.5 million in February. Their unemployment rate fell from 9% in January to 8.7%, the lowest since January 2009, according to the Labor Department.
Just as important, the portion of Americans in that age bracket who were employed ”” known as the employment-to-population ratio ”” rose to 74.7% from 74.5% and is up from a 29-year low of 73.2% in July. In a normal economy, about 80% of 25-to-34-year-olds have jobs.