Unemployment Breakdown

Feb. 6, 2009— -- The United States has now lost jobs for the 13th straight month, with the government reporting today that employers shed 598,000 jobs in January, marking the largest monthly job loss since 1974. The national unemployment rate jumped to 7.6 percent, its highest level since 1992.

The pain, while widespread, has not affected all demographic groups equally. Below is a breakdown of jobless rates in different segments of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With many layoffs coming in male-dominated industries like construction, adult men are outpacing women in unemployment. The unemployment rate for adult men is 7.6 percent; for adult women, 6.2 percent.

Among the nation's largest racial and ethnic groups, Asians experienced the lowest unemployment rate (6.2 percent) while blacks had the highest, at 12.6 percent. The unemployment rates for whites was 6.9 percent; for Hispanics, 9.7 percent.

Teenagers registered the highest unemployment rate, at 20.8 percent.