US unemployment rate worsens

Unemployment figures in the United States have reportedly risen to an all time high since 1992.



Official data indicate that the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in January, up from 7.2 percent in December.



According to the US Labor Department, the economy lost 598,000 non-farm jobs for the month.



The rise in unemployment is said to be a sign that the recession in the world\'s largest economy is deepening as companies are increasingly reluctant to hire.



In total, the US economy has lost 3.6 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007, with more than half of the job cuts coming in the past four months.