The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to its lowest since the early days of the Great Recession, a hopeful sign for the sluggish labor market. Initial claims fell 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000.
U.S. employers added 171,000 jobs in October and hiring was stronger over the previous two months than first thought. The unemployment rate inched up to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in September.
As the Labor Department reported, employers added 163,000 jobs last month -- far more than the 100,000 forecast and the biggest gain since February. But the nation's unemployment rate ticked up to 8.3 percent. Here are four pieces of good news buried in the report.
Employers went on a hiring spree in January and drove down the unemployment rate for a fifth straight month to 8.3 percent, its lowest point in nearly three years. The result pointed to a resurgent job market, and it sent stock futures surging. The Dow Jones industrial average futures, which were flat before the report, jumped 95 points.
A burst of hiring in December pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a boost at the end of 2011. The Labor Department said Friday that employers added a net 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest since February 2009. The rate has dropped for four straight months.
The unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than two and a half years, as employers stepped up hiring in response to the slowly improving economy. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate dropped sharply to 8.6 percent last month, down from 9 percent in October. The rate hasn't been that low since March 2009.
Recovering financially after long-term unemployment isn't easy, but it's fairly straightforward: Pay off debts, rebuild savings, and adjust to your new income. Recovering emotionally is far more complicated -- it means retraining your brain and consciously shifting your perspective.
Nicholas, 60, is a paralegal who has been jobless for more than a year, and is worried about the possibility of losing his home in rural Pennsylvania. If he depletes his savings and cashes out of a life insurance policy, he can pay off his mortgage. But is that the smartest move?
New government data shows that the U.S. added just 54,000 new jobs in May, far less than what economists were expecting. The news, which sent the jobless rate up to 9.1%, sent stocks lower on Wall Street.
The unemployment rate fell last month in 39 states, evidence that companies are feeling more confident about the U.S. economy. Nationally, businesses have added more than 250,000 jobs per month, on average, in the past three months -- their fastest hiring spree in five years.
The unemployment rate fell to a two-year low of 8.8 percent in March and companies added workers at the fastest two-month pace since before the recession began.
Employers ramped up hiring in February, adding a total of 192,000 jobs to the U.S economy. Even better, the unemployment rate fell for the third straight month to 8.9% -- close to a two-year low. Private employers added 222,000 jobs last month, the most since April.
North Dakota topped Gallup's list of best places to find jobs last year, followed by other states rich in natural resources, such as South Dakota and Alaska. Meanwhile, Nevada, New Jersey and California were the worst states for job hunters.
The latest data from the government show that employers added 36,000 jobs January, sending the unemployment rate sharply lower to 9% -- the lowest level since April 2009. But the numbers already have some scratching their heads.
New forecasts show that the worst may be over for the construction industry, which was hit harder by the Great Recession than any other sector, as construction projects slowly resume. Some 27% of construction firms say they plan to add staff this year, while only 20% plan to cut jobs.
Americans who are unemployed or underemployed are three times as likely to fall behind on their bills as those who are fully employed, according to a Gallup Poll released Tuesday.
The U.S. economy has strengthened, but not enough for the government to pare down its bond-buying program, according to the latest Fed minutes. In late 2010, investments rose and the job market improved -- but the housing market remained depressed.
Economists generally expect employers to steadily add more workers in 2011, perhaps as many as 250,000 a month by year-end. However, with so many long-term unemployed returning to the market, the jobless rate could still outpace those new positions.
If the stock market reflected the entire economy, happy days would surely be here again. But, alas, it reflects just the profit potential of public companies. And for millions of unemployed Americans, that's proving to be no help at all.
'Tis the season to remember the less fortunate, and Jim Gibbons, CEO of Goodwill Industries, hopes his nonprofit will be on the receiving end as you make out your charitable giving list. With unemployment still hovering near 10%, his organization is serving more people than ever with aid, inexpensive goods and job training.
An increasing number of observers, citing a preponderance of positive data, are optimistic that the stagnant labor market is finally beginning to gain momentum. But the pace is still way too slow for those desperately seeking work.
Employers added only 39,000 jobs in November, a sharp decline from the 172,000 created in October. To make matters worse, the jobless rate has now topped 9% for 19 straight months -- the longest stretch on record.
Initial jobless claims rose 26,000 to 436,000 in the latest week, but Labor Department officials caution that the report contains a seasonal adjustment associated with the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The more-telling four week average fell again, to 431,000.
Forget Christmas trees and fancy presents, what millions of Americans want this year is a job. As it is, nearly 2 million Americans are scheduled to lose unemployment benefits before Christmas. Unless Congress issues a last-minute reprieve, some of the jobless will get cut off from federal aid as early as Wednesday.
House Republicans thwarted an expedited effort by Democrats to extend jobless benefits into next year. It cleared by 258-154 but failed to meet the two-thirds majority needed for "fast-track" passage. Two million Americans could soon lose their aid.
Come the end of November, some 2 million jobless workers won't be able to rely on their unemployment check unless Congress again extends the aid. But with the GOP regaining the House, the odds of that extension just got a lot longer.
The jobs market gained steam in October as companies added 151,000 jobs - the largest amount since May. Despite the better-than-expected gains, the unemployment rate remained steady at 9.6%.
Just call this week%u2019s labor report a wash: Initial jobless claims unexpectedly jumped 13,000 to 462,000, but continuing claims plunged another 112,000, and the trend in state-level claims continues to provide evidence that the period of layoffs is subsiding.