Unemployment rates fell in 22 of the 50 U.S. states in February, the government said in a report Friday that indicates hiring gains are benefiting many parts of the country. The Labor Department said unemployment rates were unchanged in 16 states and rose in 12 states. Nationally, unemployment fell to a four-year low of 7.7 percent in February, down from 7.9 percent the previous month. Since November, employers have added an average of 200,000 jobs per month, nearly double the average from last spring.
