US Adds 236K Jobs, Unemployment Falls to 7.7 Pct 0 By KMAN Staff on March 9, 2013 AssociatedPress, Video A burst of hiring last month added 236,000 U.S. jobs and reduced the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent from 7.9 percent in January. The gains suggest that the economy can strengthen further despite higher taxes and government spending cuts.