12/20: unemployed collecting for more than a week rose by 81000 to 3.3 mil

[papau]

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/current.htm

In the week ending Dec. 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 339,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 354,000. The 4-week moving average was 355,750, a decrease of 6,500 from the previous week's revised average of 362,250.

Wednesday's report also showed that the number of unemployed people collecting jobless benefits for more than a week rose by 81,000 to 3.3 million for the week ending Dec. 20, the most recent period for which that information is available. This suggests that jobs are still hard to find for some workers.

[SheilaT]

1. According to NPR's Morning Edition

this morning, jobless claims were only around 400,000 this past week, the third week in a row they've dropped. I suspect that the words "first time" were left out in front of that number. My first thought was, And how many people aren't being counted because they've used up all their jobless benefits?

[papau]

4. Jobless claims are down slightly - but job creation sucks

only the new math at the DOL is keeping the UE rate from floating higher - and I doubt that will be able to continue.

[GainesT1958]

2. And just wait for next week...

When the figures for all those newly-laid-off holiday temp. workers start to come in!

Not to mention that American Airlines just announced it's laying off 550 workers. "Recovery", huh? WHAT recovery!?:mad:


One thing about it: he won't be able to mimic Ronnie's 1984 "Morning in America" theme next year!:eyes:

B-)

[Frodo]

3. Don't be so sure.

Reagan ran on "morning in America" after a 1983 economic performance of:
GDP growth 4.3%
Unemployment 8.3%
Inflation 3.2%

2003 looks like it will work out to:

GDP growth in a comparable or slightly higher range (say 4.5%)
Unemployment ~6%
Inflation ~2%

You sure you want to put it past him?