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The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits bounced off five-year lows last week, pulling them back to levels consistent with modest job growth. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 38,000 to a seasonally adjusted 368,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's claims figure was unrevised. Economists polled by Reuters had expected claims to increase to 350,000. Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/2013/01/31/weekly-jobless-claims-rise-more-than-expected/#ixzz2JYwXRXIp

Reducing unemployment is critical to a housing recovery in the USA. Unfortunately, unemployment is not falling as quickly as it should. (Perhaps maybe that is why Hilda Solis stepped down as Labor Secretary!) Initial jobless claims were released this morning and showed an increase of 371,000, up from the downward revised print of 367,000 from last week. The expected print was 365,000. Notice that there has not been much improvement over the past year (SA). On a non seasonally adjusted (NSA) basis, we can see the deteriorating trend in initial jobless claims since September. In addition to mediocre employment numbers,...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, but seasonal volatility makes it difficult to get a clear picture of the labor market's health. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 371,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's figure was revised to show 5,000 fewer applications than previously reported. Claims tend to be very volatile around this time of the year because of the holidays and seasonal layoffs. While they increased last week, there was nothing in the data to suggest a deterioration in labor market conditions....

At least one Fed governor understands the Bernanke Fed's hyper-accommodative monetary policy has no exit. Today on CNBC "Squawk Box", Dallas Fed governor Richard Fisher complained Fed Risks 'Hotel California' Monetary Policy. Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher told CNBC that he's worried the U.S. central bank is in a "Hotel California" type of monetary policy because of its "engorged balance sheet." Evoking lyrics from the famous song by The Eagles, he said he feared the Fed would be able to "check out anytime you like, but never leave." Fisher said on "Squawk Box" that he argued against revealing the new...

After a few post-Hurricane Sandy weeks of new jobless claims hitting over 400,000, it looks as though we´ve settled back into the new and accepted normal of new claims landing somewhere in the 360,000 to 390,000 range. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this week saw 370,000 new claims filed. Keep in mind, though, that it´s only in Barack Obama´s America that we´ve learned to celebrate any number under 400,000. We´re nowhere near the point where our economy creates enough jobs to keep up with those lost every week. But because the media will never

A well-traveled panhandler who made national headlines last summer when he told an Oklahoma City police officer he'd made $60,000 in a year begging for money was arrested this week in Boise. ... Speegle was in Oklahoma City, where he told a police officer he was too lazy to get a job and didn't need to because he'd made $60,000 last year... The officer told Speegle he needed a $200 daily permit to panhandle, but Speegle suggested the price was within his means.

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 370,000 in the week ended Dec. 1, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's the third straight decline and lowest reading in one month. Initial claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 395,000 from an original reading of 393,000, based on more complete data collected at the state level. The average of new claims over the past month, meanwhile, edged up by 2,250 to 408,000. The four-week average reduces seasonal volatility in the weekly data and is seen as a more accurate barometer of...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped for a second straight week last week, unwinding some of the storm-related surge, which has muddled the labor market picture. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 393,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's figure was revised up to show 6,000 more applications than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims falling to 390,0000 last week. The four-week moving average for new claims, a better measure of labor market trends, increased 7,500 to 405,250, the highest level since October...

The CEO of popular pizza chain Papa John's says his employees may face reduced hours and he expects his business costs to rise because President Obama's re-election most likely insures the president's health care reform law will be implemented in full. NaplesNews.com reports John Schnatter made the remarks to a small group at Edison State College's Collier County campus the day after the election. Schnatter, who supported Mitt Romney in the election, said all Americans having health insurance under ObamaCare is a good, but estimates the change will cost Papa John's $5 million to $8 million annually. Schnatter estimated that...

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign the labor market's slow recovery was gaining traction although a severe storm distorted the data. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 355,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was below the median forecast in a Reuters poll of 370,000. An analyst from the department said Sandy, a mammoth storm that slammed into the East Coast on October 29, boosted claims in some states by leaving people out of work, but also reduced claims in at least...

With the latest jobs report, it is now the case that "Under Obama, Food Stamp Growth [Is] 75 Times Greater Than Job Creation," according to statistics compiled by the Republican side of the Senate Budget Committee. "For Every Person Added to Jobs Rolls Since January 2009, 75 People Added To Food Stamp Rolls." Here's a chart detailing the growth: Since January 2009, as the chart shows, a net of 194,000 new jobs have been created. During that same time, 14.7 million have been added to the food stamp rolls. "Simply put, the President’s policies have not produced jobs. During his...

US Labor Secretary just bounced into studio with a big smile. Handed out candy to reporters. Loves job numbers Link to photo.

According to ADP, private sector employment increased by 158,000 jobs in October. This beat expectations of 131,000 but is lower than the previous reading of 158,000 (which has been revised downwards to 114,000 which was actually 88,000). This is the most jobs added in eight months. This is especially welcome news after the ADP revision showed that since February 2012, 402,000 fewer jobs were created than previously thought. ADP wanted to be more consistent with BLS for employment numbers, so the downward revision that makes this week’s increase look even higher is indeed consistent with BLS. Meanwhile, Challenger US Job...

Two better-than-expected reports on the U.S. labor market, coupled with a round of strong manufacturing data from China, lifted stock-index futures on Thursday. Today's Markets As of 8:35 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 14 points to 13043, S&P 500 futures climbed 0.75 point to 1408 and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 8.3 points to 2649. The markets capped October on a weak note, with the Dow sliding some 2.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fared worse, tumbling 4.5%. Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2012/11/01/futures-flat-ahead-busy-day/#ixzz2Ayb3U0e7

SACRAMENTO -- California's unemployment rate fell to 10.2% in September from 10.6% in August, the second-largest drop in the nation. But just 8,500 net new jobs were created, according to the California Employment Development Department. The two statistics show somewhat different monthly trends because the unemployment rate is based on a survey of households while the total employment number comes from a more accurate check of businesses. The California results tracked national Department of Labor figures, released Oct. 5, that showed the national unemployment rate falling by three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.8% -- its lowest level in 3...

(Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, reversing a sharp decline in the prior week but still pointing to a labor market that is slowly healing. The prior week's figure was revised up to show 3,000 more applications than previously reported to 342,000. A Labor Department official said it appeared that state-level administrative issues were distorting the data.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported last Friday that 114,000 new jobs were created last month, according to its Establishment Survey of business payrolls that has been emphasized by the Obama Administration. That is pitifully weak, especially for what is supposed to be the fourth year of a recovery (the National Bureau of Economic Research scored the recession as officially over in June, 2009). As economist John Lott noted at FoxNews.com on October 5, the working age population grew by 206,000 last month. With two-thirds of those working as would be expected during a normal recovery, 138,000 new jobs...

Well, we're glad to say that we've finally gotten to the bottom of what happened. We spoke to a source at the Labor Department. According to this source, who is an analyst at the Department, here's what happened: ALL STATES WERE INCLUDED in this week's jobless claims. Assertions that "a large state" was excluded from the report are patently false. HOWEVER... It is likely that some of the jobless claims in one large state--California--were not included in the claims reported to the Department of Labor this week. This happens occasionally, our source says. When a state's jobless claims bureau is...

“One omission by one state–you wouldn’t think it would be a big deal, but in this case it drove the number down by 10%,” said analyst Stephen Stanley with Pierpont Securities. Economists are speculating the state could be California, the most populous state in the nation. “It was likely a state with a large population and we suspect that it was California based on the occasional massive swings that have occurred in its claims data in the past,” said Daniel Silver, an economist with JPMorgan, in a note. “In short, this reading is worthless in terms of informing on the...