WASHINGTON – The U.S. unemployment rate climbed above 10 percent in October for the first time since April 1983.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate rose from 9.8 percent in September to 10.2 percent.

The economy lost a total of 190,000 jobs. The largest losses of the month were in construction, manufacturing and retail trade, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

In October, the number of unemployed workers increased by more than 550,000 to 15.7 million.

The unemployment rate in Ohio remained close to the national average in September at 10.1 percent. Nearly 600,000 Ohioans were out of work.

Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has risen by 8.2 million, and the unemployment rate has grown by 5.3 percentage points, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.