Graphic courtesy of National Employment Law Project

More evidence of the nation’s deepening recession was revealed Friday in a new government report. The U.S. unemployment rate in December rocketed to a 16-year high of 7.2 percent.

For all of 2008, the economy lost a net total of 2.6 million jobs, the most since 1945, when nearly 2.8 million jobs were eliminated. The losses occurred across all age groups. Among workers 45 to 54, the unemployment rate hovered at about 5.5 percent as nearly 2 million were out of work in December. For those age 55 to 64, nearly 4.9 percent (about 1.1 million) were unemployed. And among workers age 65 and older, 5 percent (326,000) were out of work.

“Today’s devastating employment report is stunning confirmation of the crisis facing America’s workers and the absolute necessity of responding effectively to the twin problems of job loss and rising unemployment,” Christine L. Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, said in a statement. She also called the report “an unmistakable sign” that the loss of jobs “continues to hammer lower and middle-income Americans.”

Jean Setzfand, financial security director at AARP, says the stakes are higher when an older worker loses a job. She says it typically takes them longer to find work, and when they do land a job, it may not pay them as much as they’re worth. Those who don’t find a job quickly must also shoulder the burden of paying for their health care, since Medicare doesn’t kick in until age 65.

Nor is 2009 expected to be much better. John Challenger, chief executive officer of the Chicago-based placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, predicts that employers will make steep job cuts through at least the first half of this year.

But there may be a smidgen of a silver lining. When employers cut their staffing, he says, older workers could have an advantage. Companies need experienced workers who can “hit the ground running.” Job seekers must emphasize their experience and accomplishments in job interviews, he says. They must also talk up their willingness to work long and hard.

“When you reduce your workforce, you need people who can do a wider array of jobs, who can fit into the corporate culture and not have a bumpy entry,” Challenger says. “Older workers can be counted on to take on tasks without much supervision and do them well.”

Carole Fleck is a senior editor at the AARP Bulletin.