Unemployment Highest Since 1983
By: RNS
Updated: March 6, 2009
Joblessness in the U.S. is now at its highest level in 25 years.
The unemployment rate in February was 8.1 percent, a jump of half a percent from January and the highest rate since December of 1983.
The latest data from the Labor Department shows the economy shed 651,000 jobs last month.
The only job additions were in the government, education and health services sectors.
Amid the grim new jobs statistics, President Obama is promoting the massive economic stimulus bill that he signed recently.
He spoke in Ohio at a graduation ceremony for 25 Columbus police recruits who were previously told they would be let go. However, with passage of the stimulus bill, the recruits' salaries are now being covered.
Obama said the stimulus aims at "ending the cycle of job losses." Obama noted that 4.4 million jobs have been lost in the ongoing recession and he vowed to keep making aggressive moves to turn things around.
Click here for statistics from Abilene and Texas.
