WASHINGTON - February 2, 2010 - Unemployment rose in most cities and counties in December, signaling that companies remain reluctant to hire as the economy continues down the road to Depression.

The unemployment rate rose in 306 of 372 metro areas, the Labor Department said Tuesday. The rate fell in 41 and was unchanged in 25. That's worse than November, when the rate fell in 170 areas, rose in only 154 and was unchanged in 48.

The metro employment numbers aren't seasonally adjusted and can be volatile. Many of the increases were due to seasonal factors.

For example, Ocean City, New Jersey, which bills itself as "Amerika's Greatest Family Resort," saw its unemployment rate jump to 16.4% in December from 14.8% the previous month.

That's double the 8% it reported in July, even though we are being falsely told by propagandists and politicians with a vested interest that the economy is in a recovery.

Joblessness topped 10% in 138 metro areas, up from 125 in November but below last year's peak of 144 areas in June.

In the past year, unemployment rose in almost all of the 372 metro areas tracked by the report, except one: Troubled Elkhart, Indiana saw its jobless rate fall to 14.8% in December 2009 from 16% a year earlier.

The lowest unemployment rates are in the upper plains states, with Fargo, North Dakota reporting the nation's lowest rate, at 4%, followed by Grand Forks, North Dakota and Lincoln, Nebraska, at 4.1% each.

The highest rate is in El Centro, Kalifornia, with 27.7%, followed by Merced, Kalifornia, at 19.8%. El Centro is heavily agricultural and has many seasonal farm workers that are frequently unemployed. Its jobless rate is down from 33.1% in August