California's jobless increased in December

Anyone looking for a bit of economic good news today will be disappointed by the new jobless numbers. From the Associated Press:

State officials say California’s unemployment rate jumped to 9.3 percent in December, capping a tumultuous year of massive job losses and a housing slump that has struck most of the country. The jobless rate announced Friday by the state Employment Development Department represents a jump from the 8.4 percent figure in November 2008. Excluding farm workers, California lost 78,200 jobs in December as employers sliced payrolls to deal with the slowing economy.

Read Marc Lifsher's story from Sacramento:  California unemployment rate jumps to 9.3%

Photo: Job seekers scour the postings. Credit: Matthew Staver / Bloomberg News