UNEMPLOYMENT DECLINES .2% IN FEBRUARY.

Byline: Dave Melendi Staff Writer

In a good economic sign, the Los Angeles County jobless rate fell to 6.4 percent in February, according to data released Friday, but a state analyst cautioned that the decline should not be viewed as a trend.

``One month doesn't make a trend,'' said Bill Freed, a labor market consultant for the state Employment Development Department in Long Beach. ``You need to look at a longer period, maybe over the next four or five months. If it continues in that direction, it's good. It seems to be moving in the right direction.''

The 0.2 of a percent dip from January was slightly less than the 0.3 percent drop seen statewide.

``It's kind of consistent with other economic indicators, kind of suggesting maybe we are moving into an improving economy,'' Freed said.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in February, down from a revised 6.4 percent in January, according to the state EDD figures. In February 2001, the rate was 4.7 percent.

Nationwide, the unemployment rate dropped from 5.6 percent in January to 5.

Nationwide, the unemployment rate dropped from 5.6 percent in January to 5.5 percent last month.

The January unemployment rate in California was revised from 6.2 percent to 6.4 percent in part due to a large number of unemployment insurance claims reported after the preliminary numbers were calculated.

Payroll employment in California declined over the month, losing 4,700 jobs to a total of 14.6 million, according to the EDD's survey of employers.

A record number of Californians held jobs in February, 16.5 million, up 84,000 from January and up 73,000 from February of last year, according to a separate EDD survey of households.

Of the unemployed statewide, 655,200 were laid off, 82,600 left their jobs voluntarily and the remaining were either new entrants or re-entrants into the labor market, according to the EDD.