US Jobless Rate Soars Over 10% Mark

The US suffered more job losses than feared in October, tipping the unemployment rate over the 10% mark.

A total of 190,000 workers were laid off in the month, pushing the rate up to 10.2% from 9.8% the previous month.

The Labor Department said the unemployment rate was the highest since April 1983.

The US economy has now seen a net loss of jobs for the 22nd straight month, making it the longest uninterrupted rise in unemployment on records dating back 70 years.

About 7.3 million people have been put out of work since December 2007, when the recession started.

The worse-than-expected data comes as a blow after the US last week emerged - unofficially at least - from its worst recession in 70 years.

The Commerce Department found the economy grew by a 3.5% annual rate in the third quarter.

Job uncertainty is seen as the main barrier to a sustained US recovery - not least because of its impact on vastly important consumer spending.

A recession is generally taken to be over after one quarter of economic growth.

However, the US will not be deemed to have emerged from the downturn until the National Bureau of Economic Research - the official arbiter of business cycles - says so.