Yes, you read that right.  Though we’ve basically known it for a while now, the US Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics has officially announced that the unemployment rate in the United States is now at 10.2%.

What can you really say after that?

Clearly the economy recovery is not going as well as it should.

The US Department of Labor has crunched their unemployment-rate numbers and yet again it looks like the September-Sack Race is 263,000 hard-working individuals, much up from the anticipated 180,000 firings that were predicted by the “experts”.  This is the second month in a row now where the laying (off) of hands has been considerably worse than expectations, in spite of the Obama administration’s efforts to save the United States economy.

This brings the unemployment rate up to a whopping 9.8%, darn near double-digits, which, frankly, at this rate we’re sure to reach.  This “recession” (that with the rubber numbers being used took so long to even earn that moniker officially)  is seeing nearly a double in the unemployment rate, and it ain’t over yet.

But what about those “future-proof” careers like IT?

In September alone:

Computer and electronics manufacturers have axed 10,600 of their 1.1 million workers.

Telecommunications companies have let go 5,800 of their 971,300 positions.

Data processing and hosting companies cut 300 of their 255,400 jobs.

Computer systems design and related services punted 10,800 of  their 1.46 million people.

Management and technical consulting services firms released 2,000 of their 1.18 million managers and consultants.

All-in-all Information Technology has been hit just as hard as everyone else.  In fact some hit even harder, as businesses find the nebulous and oft misunderstood world of IT one of the easiest to justify cuts in as well as to find “outsourcing” replacements to.

It’s a hard world out there and no one is safe.