West Texas Intermediate crude rose for a second day after U.S. employers added more workers than projected in February, bolstering optimism about the economy. The WTI-Brent spread narrowed. Futures increased 1 percent in New York. Labor Department figures showed a 175,000 gain in employment. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg projected a 149,000 advance. Futures dropped earlier this week as concern eased that Russia ’s incursion into Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula would spark a broader conflict and disrupt energy shipments. “The jobs number was much better than expected and as a result we’re going into the weekend on an up note,” said Michael Lynch , president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research in Winchester, Massachusetts . “Attention has shifted to the economy for now. Crimea already seems like old news.” WTI for April delivery advanced $1.02 to settle at $102.58 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange . Prices fell 1 […]