Unemployment rates continue to rise. An estimated 2.6 million jobs were lost in 2008, the most since 1945. A shocking 11.1 million people were unemployed as of December 2008.
In December, the unemployment rate was reported to be as high as 7.2 percent, which is up from 6.8 in November.
Employers are not only cutting back on staff members, but also cutting back on hours of operations. Larger companies, such as Walgreens, have announced layoffs to continue clear into 2009.