The jobs report from the Bureau of Labor statistics reports that the unemployment rated jumped from 6.8 percent to 7.2 percent (a 25-year high) in December as payrolls dropped by 524,000.

While these numbers were not unexpected, their realization will add to the mounting pressure on Congress to have a stimulus bill on soon-to-be-President Obama's desk ASAP.

Bloomberg: "U.S. Payrolls Post Biggest Annual Drop Since 1945"

The Wall Street Journal: "Jobless Rate Surges to 7.2% in December"

(click on image to enlarge)