An estimated 1.1 million people have joined the US jobless rolls over the past year, resulting in a rise in the unemployment rate to 5.1 per cent in March, the US government said Friday. The figure adds another piece to the overall contracting economic picture in the country.
Earlier this week, US central bank head Ben Bernanke said a US recession was 'possible' in the first quarter of 2008. The unemployment rate in February was 4.8 per cent. Economic growth in the last quarter of 2007 was 0.06 per cent.
The US Department of Labour said payroll employment had declined by 232,000, particularly in the construction, manufacturing and employment services branches.
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