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85,000 jobs lost in Dec., but Nov. revision shows jobs growthUpdateddocument.write(niceDate('1/8/2010 9:22 AM')); 44m ago | Comments 244 | Recommend 1E-mail | Save | Print |

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WHERE ARE THE JOBS?FORECASTS FOR REBOUND: Map shows the latest outlook for all 50 states and 384 metro areas, by job sectors.Looking for a job?: Try our Quick Job Search widget powered by CareerBuilder.

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'; jQuery("#topSocialButtons").append(sclListTop); jQuery(".subscribe-nav").treeview({control: ".treecontrol",animated: "medium",collapsed: true});}WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy lost more jobs in December and the unemployment rate was unchanged, as a sluggish economic recovery has yet to revive hiring among the country's employers.
The Labor Department said Friday that employers cut 85,000 jobs last month, worse than the 8,000 drop analysts expected.

READ: The full report

A sharp drop in the labor force, a sign more of the jobless are giving up on their search for work, kept the unemployment rate at 10%, the same as in November. Once people stop looking for jobs, they are no longer counted among the unemployed.
When discouraged workers and part-time workers who would prefer full-time jobs are included, the so-called "underemployment" rate in December rose to 17.3%, from 17.2% in October. That's just below a revised figure of 17.4% in October, the highest on records dating from 1994.

RECOVERY: Outlook for job market is grim

Revisions to the previous two months' data showed the economy actually generated 4,000 jobs in November, the first gain in nearly two years, while it lost 16,000 more than previously estimated in October. The net result for the two months was a job loss of 1,000
The report caps a disastrous year for U.S. workers. Employers cut 4.2 million jobs in 2009, and the unemployment rate averaged 9.3%. That's compared to an average of 5.8% in 2008 and 4.6% in 2007. The economy has lost more than 8 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007.
Most economists worry that 2010 won't be much better. Federal Reserve officials, in a meeting last month, anticipated that unemployment will decline "only gradually," according to minutes of the meeting released earlier this week. The Fed and most private economists expect the unemployment rate will remain above 9% through the end of this year.
If jobs remain scarce, consumer confidence and spending could flag, potentially slowing the economic recovery. Many analysts estimate the economy grew by 4% or more at an annual rate in the October-December quarter, after 2.2% growth in the third quarter.
But the economy will need to grow faster than that to bring down the unemployment rate. And the concern is that much of the recovery stems from temporary factors, such as government stimulus efforts and businesses rebuilding inventories.
Other figures from the government's report were mixed: the average work week remained unchanged at 33.2 hours, near October's record low of 33. Most economists hoped that would increase, as employers are likely to add hours for their current employees before hiring new workers.
On the positive side, there was a big jump in temporary hiring of 46,500, bringing the total increase in temporary employment to 166,000 since July. Companies customarily bring on temporary workers before adding permanent ones.
Job losses remained widespread: Manufacturing lost 27,000 jobs and construction shed 53,000, while retailers, the leisure and hospitality industries and government also cut workers.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.