Unemployment Hits 10% in 4 States

California, Michigan, South Carolina and Rhode Island lead jobless statistics
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 11, 2009 1:56 PM CDT
Unemployment Hits 10% in 4 States
3-year-old Jaynell Bender of Omaha, right, waits as her unemployed parents, left, use computers search for jobs at the Workforce Development office in Omaha, Neb.   (AP Photo)

Four states—California, South Carolina, Michigan, and Rhode Island—registered unemployment rates above 10% in January, and the national rate is expected to hit double digits by year-end. The US Labor Department's report on state unemployment, released today, showed the increasing damage inflicted on workers and companies from a recession now in its second year.

Some economists now predict the US unemployment rate will hit 10% by year-end, and peak at 11% or higher by the middle of 2010. 49 states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment-rate increases. Louisiana was the only state to record a monthly drop. Its unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in January from 5.5% in December. (More unemployment stories.)

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