US unemployment rate rises to 5.1% from 4.8%

The unemployment rate has risen in March in the US up from 4.8 5 to 5.1 %. This is a definite sign of recession, particularly if the rate stays elevated and rises over the coming months. The hardest hit appear to be younger workers who traditionally have higher rates of unemployment and less seniority. If one counts the unemployed, those who are working part-time out of necessity that is they would like a full time job but can't find one, plus discouraged workers who are defined as marginally attached to the work force because they have given up actively searching for work plus all other marginally attachd workers according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics the rate of unemployment in March 2008 was 9.1 %.