The current unemployment rate has doubled since the recession began in December 2007. It will probably stay between 9.5% - 10% through 2010, even though the recession is over. That's because employers resist hiring new workers until they are absolutely sure the economy will stay strong. For this reason, the unemployment rate is a lagging indicator. Although it is not good for predicting trends, it is useful for confirming trends.
The current unemployment rate is reported monthly in the Employment Report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here is a history of the current unemployment rate statistics for every month since March 2007.