Dismal jobs report helps send major indexes more than 2 percent lower Jobless rate rises to 26-year high Out-of-work with no place to land, the legions of America's unemployed are growing. The nation's unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent in June, a 26-year high. NEW YORK - A dour report on job losses in June sent stocks sharply lower Thursday. Major stock indexes fell more than 2.6 percent after the government said the U.S. unemployment rate hit a 26-year high. The Dow Jones industrials closed at their lowest level in six weeks. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange was extended until 4:15 p.m. Eastern time in order to execute customer orders impacted by system irregularities, an NYSE spokeswoman said. As investors sold off stocks amid fresh concerns about the economy, they moved into the safety of bonds, pushing Treasury... [read full story]
