U.S. Jobless Rate Headed Back Above 10 Percent, Gallup Says

Previewing what could be another dreary jobs report on Friday, Gallup said U.S. unemployment hit 10.3 percent in February -- up from 9.8 percent at the end of January and essentially unchanged from the 10.4 percent in February 2010.

The "official" monthly Labor Department figures, which are seasonally adjusted, are due to come out Friday. The administration reported that January jobless rate had declined, even as the number of new jobs continued to bump along at lower-than-replacement rates.

Painting a more dire picture, Gallup found that the ranks of "under-employed" Americans -- those who are working part-time but want to work full time -- remain persistently high.

The under-employed figure for February climbed to 9.6 percent, up from 9.1 percent at the end of January, Gallup said. A year ago, 9.3 percent were under-employed.