Ranks of Newly Unemployed Grow Sharply: Initial...

Ranks of Newly Unemployed Grow Sharply: Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits were a seasonally adjusted 515,000 for the week ending Dec. 22, an increase of 74,000 from the week before, the Labor Department said. Since June, 1 million Americans have been added to the ranks of the jobless. Some economists predict that another million will lose their jobs this year. Other government figures say a deep recession could bankrupt the unemployment trust funds of at least eight states by midyear and of another 20 states by December.