EnglishUnemployment in the United States saw a significant increase in December 2008, with last year being the worst for the American labor market since the end of WWII.
According to data released on Friday by the Labor Department, the US had 524.400 jobless claims for December 2008, on top of November"s 584.000 unemployment claims. Last year" decline was the 12th in a row. Official numbers show that payrolls in the American factories lost 149.000 positions (the greatest decrease since August 2001), after a 104.000 drop in November. Economists were expecting 100 000 drop in the number of plant workers. The car industry laid off 21.400 people in December 2008.
In total, 2008 saw 2,589 million unemployed people in the US (the highest number since 1945).
The unemployment rate reached the highest level in the last 15 years: 7,2%, up from 6,8% in November. Economists were expecting the unemployment rate to reach 7%, and the number of lost jobs to be 525.000.
The US economy created 1,1 million jobs in 2007.
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