Unemployment | ISSUE

A soap bubble vendor attracts costomers in Jakarta on March 21, 2010. The Indonesian government aims to cut unemployment from 8.1 percent to 5.0-6.0 percent this year, and poverty from around 14 percent to 8.0-10 percent.

A soap bubble vendor attracts costomers in Jakarta on March 21, 2010. The Indonesian government aims to cut unemployment from 8.1 percent to 5.0-6.0 percent this year, and poverty from around 14 percent to 8.0-10 percent.

A soap bubble vendor attracts costomers in Jakarta on March 21, 2010. The Indonesian government aims to cut unemployment from 8.1 percent to 5.0-6.0 percent this year, and poverty from around 14 percent to 8.0-10 percent.

A soap bubble vendor attracts costomers in Jakarta on March 21, 2010. The Indonesian government aims to cut unemployment from 8.1 percent to 5.0-6.0 percent this year, and poverty from around 14 percent to 8.0-10 percent.

A soap bubble vendor attracts costomers in Jakarta on March 21, 2010. The Indonesian government aims to cut unemployment from 8.1 percent to 5.0-6.0 percent this year, and poverty from around 14 percent to 8.0-10 percent.

Graphic shows change in weekly jobless claims;.

Shenika Simpson is shown in Charlotte, N.C., on March 17, 2010. In this banking center walloped by the Great Recession, where unemployment just hit a 20-year high and as many as one in three black folks are out of work, black people could easily be frustrated with President Barack Obama's insistence that a rising economic tide will lift African-American boats. An unemployed single mother, Simpson said that Obama "can't just jump in the chair and fix everything within a year."

Shenika Simpson is shown in Charlotte, N.C., on March 17, 2010. In this banking center walloped by the Great Recession, where unemployment just hit a 20-year high and as many as one in three black folks are out of work, black people could easily be frustrated with President Barack Obama's insistence that a rising economic tide will lift African-American boats. An unemployed single mother, Simpson said that Obama "can't just jump in the chair and fix everything within a year."

James Norris is shown in Charlotte, N.C., on March 17, 2010. In this banking center walloped by the Great Recession, where unemployment just hit a 20-year high and as many as one in three black folks are out of work, black people could easily be frustrated with President Barack Obama's insistence that a rising economic tide will lift African-American boats.

Dan Wynkoop searches for a job at WorkSource Oregon, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, in Tualatin, Ore. Unemployment in Oregon fell slightly in February to 10.5 percent. The Oregon Employment Department figures show the jobless rate was 0.2 percent lower than in January. The rate has been essentially unchanged for several months.

Marshall Chicha searches for a job at WorkSource Oregon, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, in Tualatin, Ore. Unemployment in Oregon fell slightly in February to 10.5 percent. The Oregon Employment Department figures show the jobless rate was 0.2 percent lower than in January. The rate has been essentially unchanged for several months.

Marshall Chicha searches for employment at WorkSource Oregon, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, in Tualatin, Ore. Unemployment in Oregon fell slightly in February to 10.5 percent. The Oregon Employment Department figures show the jobless rate was 0.2 percent lower than in January. The rate has been essentially unchanged for several months.

Jeremiah Kraush searches for a job at WorkSource Oregon, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, in Tualatin, Ore. Unemployment in Oregon fell slightly in February to 10.5 percent. The Oregon Employment Department figures show the jobless rate was 0.2 percent lower than in January. The rate has been essentially unchanged for several months.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou left talks with secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurria during a meeting in Athens, on Monday, March 15, 2010. A wave of new tax hikes hit Greece on Monday, raising the cost of consumer goods despite recession and high unemployment, as European Union finance ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss the country's debt crisis.

Secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurria talks with Greek premier George Papandreou (not seen in the picture) during a meeting in Athens, on Monday, March 15, 2010. A wave of new tax hikes hit Greece on Monday, raising the cost of consumer goods despite recession and high unemployment, as European Union finance ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss the country's debt crisis.

In this Wednesday, March 10, 2010 photo, a person looks for work at a job placement center in Menlo Park, Calif. Initial jobless claims have dropped to 457,000 but remained above levels that signal new hiring.

In this Wednesday, March 10, 2010 photo, a person looks for work at a job placement center in Menlo Park, Calif. Initial jobless claims have dropped to 457,000 but remained above levels that signal new hiring.

A building is seen under construction in Madrid Friday Feb. 5, 2010. Spain's once-buoyant economy has wracked up six straight quarters of decline since third quarter of 2008 as a boom fueled by real estate construction and consumer spending collapsed. Unemployment now stands at nearly 20 percent. The government's ballooning deficit is an acute source of worry for investors and markets fretting over whether Spain could be in line for a debt crisis like the one in Greece.

A building is seen under construction in Madrid Friday Feb. 5, 2010. Spain's once-buoyant economy has wracked up six straight quarters of decline since third quarter of 2008 as a boom fueled by real estate construction and consumer spending collapsed. Unemployment now stands at nearly 20 percent. The government's ballooning deficit is an acute source of worry for investors and markets fretting over whether Spain could be in line for a debt crisis like the one in Greece.

A building is seen under construction in Madrid Friday Feb. 5, 2010. Spain's once-buoyant economy has wracked up six straight quarters of decline since third quarter of 2008 as a boom fueled by real estate construction and consumer spending collapsed. Unemployment now stands at nearly 20 percent. The government's ballooning deficit is an acute source of worry for investors and markets fretting over whether Spain could be in line for a debt crisis like the one in Greece.