According to the US Department of Labor, the national unemployment rate in August 2009 was 9.7%. This is an increase from 9.4% in July. On average there were more than 570,000 initial unemployment claims each week in August.

Adult men (10.1%) are seeing a much higher unemployment rate than adult women (7.6%). And on a global scale, the US has one of the highest rates of all industrialized nations. To contrast, the Netherlands are well under 4%.

Looking for your best chances today and when the economy rebounds?  Forbes lists the top ten hardest to fill jobs in America here.

For ideas on how to plan your next career move, craft your resume, and plan for the next interview, AmericanCityJobs.com offers a handy job article directory.