"This unemployment situation we have, the jobs situation, is really a national crisis," Mr Bernanke said in response to questions after a speech in Cleveland, Ohio. "We've had close to 10pc unemployment now for a number of years and, of the people who are unemployed, about 45pc have been unemployed for six months or more. This is unheard of." The comments are the bluntest and bleakest yet from the world's most powerful central banker and come just a week after the Fed launched "Operation Twist", its latest effort to reignite the economy's faltering recovery. American unemployment has been above 9pc since April ... (full story)