Tag Archives: Bureau of Labor Statistics

The nation added a surprising 163,000 jobs in July but the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.3 percent as the number of people working actually declined, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. At the same time, June's paltry job gains originally reported at 80,000 were reduced to 64,000 while May's job numbers edged up to 87,000 from 77,000.

While the month-month Case Shiller Home Price Index shot up in May a record high increase (2.2 percent) in the 20-city index and a near-record (2.2 percent increase) in the narrower 10-city index it also suggested employment has less to do with the change in home prices than might otherwise have been thought.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance fell 26,000 for the week ended July 6 to 350,000 the lowest level since March 2008, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The prior week's total was revised up to 376,000 from the originally reported 374,000.

The nation added 80,000 jobs in June, making job growth in the second quarter 225,000 - the weakest quarterly gain in jobs since the third quarter of 2010 when the economy lost 136,000 jobs. The closely watched unemployment rate remained at 8.2 percent, unchanged from May.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell a sharp 14,000 to 374,000 for the week ended June 30, the Labor Department the largest drop in nine weeks, reported Thursday. The prior week's total was revised up to 388,000 from the originally reported 386,000.

The Case-Shiller Home Price Indexes rose for the first time in eight months in April, Standard & Poor's reported Tuesday The 10- and 20-city indexes each rose 1.3 percent, to the highest levels this year. Year-over-year, the 10-city index was down 2.2 percent and the 20-city index off 1.9 percent, both improving from March.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell to 387,000 for the week ended June 16, from the prior week's 389,000, (revised from the originally reported 387,000) the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists had expected the report would show 386,000 initial claims.

Following dismal reports on employment, it might be time to give pause to assumptions that a housing recovery is here or soon to arrive. The Bureau of Labor statistics reported Friday that only 69,000 jobs were added in May, the slowest growth seen in a year. Economists said the patterns in the employment situation seen this year echo the previous year when it seemed the economy was gaining its strength back, only to falter.

The economy added just 69,000 jobs in May compared with a revised 77,000 in April down from the originally reported 115,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The closely watched unemployment rate inched up to 8.2 percent - a function of an increase in the nation's labor force to the highest level ever. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected the number of jobs to increase by 150,000 and the unemployment rate to remain at 8.1 percent.

The economy added 115,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent. With an upward revision of 53,000, March's payroll growth is now 159,000. Economists expected payrolls to grow by 165,000 for April. The government sector cut 15,000 jobs, and the private sector added 130,000 jobs. With these reported numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, economists from IHS Global Insight, Capital Economics, and Fannie Mae provided their own analysis on what the numbers really mean and what they may indicate for the future.