Jobless Rate Increases to 8.5%

The economy lost 663,000 jobs in March.

The jobless rate went from 8.1% to 8.5%.

The uniqueness of this downturn is found in the fact that the jobless numbers accelerate from month to month.

If the part-timers and discouraged seekers are totaled into the figure, it would be around 15.6%.

If you want to look at what the current unemployment rate looks like from a historical perspective, go here.