Unemployment rate jumps to a 26-year high 8.5%

U.S. unemployment rate in March jumped to a 26-year high 8.5% from 8.1% in February, while 663,000 jobs lost in the month, a sign that the recession is getting worse.

The total number of jobs lost since the recession began in December 2007 is 5.1 million. Of the 5.1 million jobs lost, 72% have disappeared in only the past six months.