WHY THEY’D RATHER TALK ABOUT SARAH PALIN (CONT’D): Jobless Rise in 20 States as Workers Still Laid Off. “The unemployment rate rose in 20 states last month as employers in most states shed jobs. . . . Employers in most states didn’t add any net new jobs last month. The number of jobs on employer payrolls fell in 35 states in December, the department said. Only 15 states reported gains. Layoffs have slowed dramatically in the past year, but hiring has yet to pick up. Texas and South Carolina reported the biggest net job gains in December. Texas added 20,000 positions; South Carolina gained 9,000.”