Australia’s jobless rate rises to 7-year high of 5.7 percent as companies cut workers

October 7th, 2009 Australian jobless rate posts surprising dropCANBERRA, Australia — Australia's unemployment rate surprisingly dropped to 5.7 percent in September, the government said Thursday, news that caused the Australian dollar to surge to a 14-month high. Economists had forecast a rise to 6 percent, but the Australian Bureau of Statistics said 40,600 new jobs were created last month.

October 4th, 2009 Greenspan: Jobless rate likely to pass 10 percentWASHINGTON — Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan predicts that the unemployment rate will push past 10 percent and stay at that level for a while. "Pretty awful" is how Greenspan describes Friday's report that the unemployment rate has risen to 9.8 percent.

September 22nd, 2009 Mexico's jobless rate at 6.28 percent in AugustMEXICO CITY — Mexico's unemployment rate rose to 6.28 percent in August, the highest rate in more than 13 years. The National Statistics Institute says the jobless rate among the country's roughly 45 million workers was up from 4.2 percent in August 2008 as the country continues to feel the effects of the world recession.

September 1st, 2009 Summary Box: Metro jobless rates improve in JulyGLASS HALF-FULL: About 44 percent of the nation's 380 largest metro areas saw their unemployment rates rise in July, a sharp improvement from June, when more than 90 percent reported an increase. Another 44 percent saw their rates drop.

August 19th, 2009 Michigan jobless rate dips slightly to 15 percentLANSING, Mich. — Michigan's monthly unemployment rate has dropped for the first time in more than a year.

August 6th, 2009 Summary Box: Jobless claims drop as layoffs slowWHAT HAPPENED: The government said Thursday that initial jobless claims fell to 550,000 last week from 588,000 the previous week. While still high, new claims have dropped by about 50,000 in the past month.

July 31st, 2009 Japan jobless rate climbs to 6-year high in JuneTOKYO — Japan's unemployment rate rose to a six-year high and prices fell at a record pace in June, the government said Friday. The jobless rate in the world's second-biggest economy worsened to 5.4 percent from 5.2 percent in May, suggesting that an emerging recovery for companies has yet to filter down to workers and families.

July 9th, 2009 Australia's jobless rate rises to six-year highCANBERRA, Australia — Australia's unemployment rate rose to a six-year high of 5.8 percent in June as companies shed workers despite the government's massive stimulus spending, official figures showed Thursday. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said the number of people in jobs fell by 21,400 with a small increase in the number of part-time employees overwhelmed by losses in full-time employment.

June 6th, 2009 Summary Box: Layoffs slow as recession easesJOB CUTS SLOW: Employers cut 345,000 jobs last month, the fewest since September and the fourth straight month that the pace of layoffs slowed. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RISES: The jobless rate rose to 9.4 percent, from 8.9 percent in April.

June 4th, 2009 Summary Box: Jobless claims dip, but work scarceJOBLESS CLAIMS EASE: The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for unemployment insurance fell Thursday, and so did the total number of people on the jobless benefit rolls. JOBS STILL SCARCE: Still, the drops were small and there is little indication companies are hiring.

May 9th, 2009 Poland's jobless rate down to 11 percent in AprilWARSAW, Poland — Poland's jobless rate dropped to 11 percent in April from 11.2 percent the month before, according to government statistics released Friday. Labor Minister Jolanta Fedak said some 1.72 million people in the country of 38 million were without a job at the end of April — 28,000 less than the previous month.

May 8th, 2009 Layoffs slow to 539K in April; jobless rate risesWASHINGTON — The pace of layoffs slowed in April, with employers cutting 539,000 jobs, the fewest in six months. But the unemployment rate climbed to 8.9 percent as many businesses remained wary of hiring given all the economic and financial uncertainties.

May 1st, 2009 Japan jobless rate up, spending down in MarchTOKYO — Japan says its jobless rate rose and household spending fell in March. Friday's government announcement shows the world's second-largest economy is still faltering.

April 27th, 2009 Polish jobless rate rises to 11.2 percent in MarchWARSAW, Poland — Poland's jobless rate rose to 11.2 percent in March from 10.9 percent the previous month, according to government statistics released Monday. The Central Statistical Office said that almost 1.76 million people in the country of 38 million were unemployed at the end of March — an increase of 40,000 compared with the previous month.

April 22nd, 2009 Taiwan's jobless rate hits record high of 5.8 pctTAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan's jobless rate hit a record high of 5.8 percent in March, rising for the eleventh straight month amid an economic slump, the government said Wednesday. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said in a statement the number of unemployed workers rose to 630,000 from 624,000 in February with the increase coming from company closures and layoffs.