Washington, Dhu-AlQa'dah 24, 1435, Sep 19, 2014, SPA -- Unemployment rates rose in nearly half the 50 U.S. states in august, even as employers in two-thirds of the states added jobs, the government reported Friday. The Labor Department said unemployment increased in 24 states, fell in 15, and was unchanged in 11. Hiring accelerated in 35 states and fell in 15. Unemployment rates can rise even when hiring increases if more people start looking for work and do not immediately find jobs. The August figures suggest hiring was broad-based across most regions of the country, even as nationwide job gains in August were the weakest so far this year. --SPA 23:59 LOCAL TIME 20:59 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w