Jobless Rates Continue to Rise

From Julianne Pepitone at CNNMoney: State jobless rates on the rise

A total of 43 states reported rising jobless rates in December, reversing signs of improvement seen the month before.

Jobless rates increased in those states and the District of Columbia last month and fell in four.

"This reversal is so surprisingly negative that it causes us to be cautious," said Craig Thomas, senior economist at PNC. "This report has been unreliable, and it tends to miss turning points."

Michigan again had the highest rate of unemployment at 14.6%.

The government reported the nation shed 85,000 jobs in December.

Joblessness was highest in the West. That region had a jobless rate of 10.7%. The Northeast had the lowest rate of unemployment at 9.2%, but that was up 0.5 percentage point from November.