The unemployment rate reached 9.8 percent in September as employment declined by another 263,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job losses were heaviest in the construction, manufacturing, retail and government sectors.
Since the beginning of the recession at the end of 2007, the number of unemployed people has increased by 7.6 million to 15.1 million and the unemployment rate has doubled, the bureau said.
