Tag Archives: Labor Department

First time claims for unemployment insurance resumed their steady decline dipping 1,000 to 367,000 for the week ended May 5, the Labor Department reported Thursday after the previous week's total was revised upward by 3,000 to 368,000, the highest level in five months.

The nation added 115,000 jobs in April, far below expectations and a drop from March’s revised payroll growth of 154,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The closely watched unemployment rate dipped again to 8.1 percent – its lowest level since January 2009 (7.8 percent) when President Obama took office – a function of a sharp drop in the nation’s labor force. Payroll gains for February and March were revised, adding 19,000 to the February numbers and 34,000 to March. The average workweek remained at 34.5 hours – still below the level when the recession began in December 2007 (34.6) and average hourly earnings improved by one cent. The number of people not in the labor force increased, as both the number of people employed and unemployed declined.

First time claims fell a surprising 27,000 to 365,000 for the week ended April 28, the Labor Department reported Thursday after revisions drove the prior week’s report up by 4,000 to 392,000, the highest level in five months. Economists had expected initial claims would decrease to 378,000.

First time claims for unemployment insurance jumped 13,000 to 380,000 for the week ended April 7, the Labor Department reported Thursday, the highest level since the end of January. At the same time the previous week’s report were adjusted upward by 10,000, wiping out what had been a four year low and showing an increase of 4,000 initial claims instead of an originally reported drop of 6,000 for the week ended March 31.

The nation added 120,000 jobs in March, far below expectations of the fourth straight month of 200,000-plus payroll gains. Payroll gains for January and February were revised, adding 13,000 to the February numbers but subtracting 9,000 from January.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell 6,000to 357,000 for the week ended March 31, the Labor Department reported Thursday but the previous week’s report were revised upward to show a jump for the week ended March 24 to 363,000 instead of the originally reported 357,000.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell 5,000 to 359,000 for the week ended March 24, the Labor Department reported Thursday. However, the previous week's report and all data reports back to 2007 - were revised to show a jump for the week ended March 17 to 364,000 instead of the originally reported 348,000.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell 5,000 to 348,000, a four-year low in the week ended March 17 and the second straight weekly decline, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Data for the prior week was revised upward, to 353,000 from 351,000, making the decline larger. The last time initial claims fell below 350,000 was in April 2008. Continuing claims, reported on a one-week lag, also fell, dropping 9,000 to 3,352,000 for the week ended March 10, after dropping 63,000 one week earlier. Continuing claims reflect the other part of the employment picture, hinting at hiring.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell 14,000 in the week ended March 9, the Labor Department reported Thursday, the first drop in four weeks. Continuing claims, reported on a one-week lag, also fell, dropping 81,000 to 3,343,000, after two straight weekly increases. The four week moving average for initial claims was flat at 355,750, unchanged from the previous week, while the four week average for continuing claims declined 25,250 to 3,394.250.

The nation added 227,000 jobs in February - the seventh straight month of 100,000-plus payroll gains, the longest such string since 2005 - as the unemployment rate held steady at 8.3 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Economists had anticipated about 210,000 new jobs and a slight uptick in the unemployment rate. The strong report continued a positive trend with just a smattering of weak spots: retail employment dropped slightly and construction jobs declined, hinting that gains in construction in recent months were related to mild weather.