Truckers idled as unemployment rate hits 8.1%

Truckers idled as unemployment rate hits 8.1%    The U.S. unemployment rate continued its steady ascent as the recession worsened, reaching 8.1 percent in February, the Labor Department announced Friday.
   Another 651,000 Americans lost non-farm jobs during the month, including 33,000 in the trucking industry, it said.
   The trucking industry has lost 138,000 jobs since the start of the recession in December 2007, with two-third of the decline in the last four months.
   In the past year 5 million people have lost their jobs across the economy.
   Widespread job losses continued in manufacturing and construction during February.
   The percentage of eligible workers without a job was 7.6 percent in January.