Unemployment in Connecticut held steady at 3.5 percent in February, the state Department of Labor reported Tuesday.

The number of nonfarm jobs has declined by 800 since January. The state now has about 1.68 million nonfarm jobs.

Joblessness in Connecticut was two percentage points below the national rate.

The largest decreases in jobs occurred in government, down 1,300. Another 1,000 manufacturing jobs were lost. Meanwhile, retail trade was up by 1,400 jobs, and construction and mining were up by 800.

–Associated Press