Unemployment Climbs to 9.6%

The unemployment rate rose in August for the first time in four months, hitting 9.6% as weak hiring by private employers wasn't enough to keep pace with a large increase in the number of people looking for work. The Labor Department says companies added a net total of 67,000 new jobs last month, down from July's upwardly revised total of 107,000, losing 54,000 jobs overall as 114,000 temporary census positions came to an end. State and local governments shed 10,000 positions. (More unemployment rate stories.)