VOA标准英语2009年-US Job Losses Grow as Recession Deepens

As had been feared, the U.S. economy lost more than one half million jobs in December, capping the worst year for job losses since World War II.
　

People wait to talk with potential employers during job fair at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey1, 07 Jan 2009

Labor² Department figures show 524,000 people lost their jobs in December. This follows 584,000 job losses in November. The Labor Department report reveals an economy in free fall with the unemployment rate up nearly one-half percent to 7.2 percent and rising. The unemployment rate is at a 16-year high.

"In the third quarter [of the year] we lost 600,000 jobs, in round numbers," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist³ at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, speaking on Bloomberg Television. "In the fourth quarter we lost 1.6 million jobs, and a near record job decline for the year. And unfortunately the rate of job decline really just accelerated dramatically in the last three months."

President-elect Obama said the job loss figures show that America is facing a devastating⁴ economic crisis. He repeated his appeal for early congressional action to approve a multi-hundred billion dollar government program to stimulate⁵ the economy.

For all of 2008 the U.S. economy lost 2.8 million jobs, this in an economy that had created millions of new jobs earlier in the decade. The U.S. economy has been in recession for over one year and the downturn is accelerating amid projections⁶ that economic output is currently declining at a more than four percent annual rate.

Financial markets were not greatly impacted by the employment report where bad news had been anticipated. Oil prices were steady at around $40 per as the slowing world economy has brought prices down over 70 percent from their peak back in July. Most stock markets lost ground in Friday trading.

1 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

5 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

6 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。