The Worcester area's unemployment rate improved slightly in February. But that good news masks a lingering problem: the number of people working dropped for the second straight month. The region's unemployment rate improved to 7.3% from 7.4%, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That remains a higher rate than October and November, when the rate was below 7% and the winter peak in coronavirus cases had yet to hit. In terms of employment, the Worcester area went in the wrong direction despite virus case numbers dropping precipitously. The region lost 3,300 workers, or about 1% of its worker base. The unemployment rate for the month improved slightly because the number of people counted as unemployed and searching for work dropped by 3%, or about 800 people.