The US unemployment rate in October rose from 9.8% to 10.2%, the highest since 1983. 7.3m jobs have been lost since December 2007 compared with 2.1m in 2001-02, 1.7m in 1990-91, 2.0m in 1981-82 and 2.0m in 1974-75.

US non-farm labour productivity increased at a 9.5% annual rate in the third quarter of 2009 after a 6.9% annual rate of increase in the second quarter.

The US trade deficit in goods and services was $30.7bn in August, down $30.2bn from August 2008.

6 Nov 2009 -

Dangerously productive