6.1 people for every available job : Available spots fell 25% in '09

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

In December, there were 6.1 unemployed workers, on average, for every available position, according to Labor Department data released Tuesday. That grew from 3.4 jobless workers per opening in December of 2008, and is almost four times the 1.7 unemployed people per opening in December 2007, when the recession began. Yet, it was a slight improvement from November, when the ratio hit 6.4 to 1, the highest since records began in 2001.