jobless

Jobless claims drop sends stocks higher

NEW YORK (AP) — A small drop in unemployment claims and a higher profit forecast by FedEx Corp. helped push stocks to two-year highs Thursday. The Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to 420,000, the third drop in four weeks. The four-week average of claims also slid for the sixth straight week, reaching the lowest level since July 2008. That was before Lehman Brothers collapsed and markets seized up at the height of the financial crisis.

December 17, 2010

Jobless claims rise, but trend shows improvement

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but the broader trend in layoffs points to a slowly healing job market. The average over the past month fell to a two-year low.

December 02, 2010

Holidays about survival as jobless benefits end

Shawn Slonsky's children know by now not to give him Christmas lists filled with the latest gizmos. The 44-year-old union electrician is one of nearly 2 million Americans whose extended unemployment benefits will run out this month, making the holiday season less about celebration than survival.

December 01, 2010

Home sales up, jobless claims fall

The economy is improving, with home sales up, jobless claims down and inflation tame. Yet there are concerns the economic rebound won’t get much juice from the housing market, which is being fueled by government tax breaks.

By By Alan Zibel, The Associated Press , April 23, 2010

Jobless claims rise for second week

The number of newly laid off people signing up for unemployment benefits rose sharply for the second straight week, suggesting that jobs are still hard to come by even as the economic recovery gains traction.

By By Jeannine Aversa, The Associated Press , April 16, 2010

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Jobless aid measure clears Senate hurdle

Legislation to give additional months of unemployment benefits to people who have been out of a job for more than half a year cleared a key hurdle Tuesday that guarantees it will soon pass the Senate. The sweeping bill also would prevent doctors from absorbing a crippling cut in Medicare payments and extends health insurance subsidies for the unemployed through December. It would add $132 billion to the budget deficit over the next year and a half.

March 10, 2010

Failed job seekers add to homeless problem in N.D.

More than almost any other state, North Dakota has escaped the worst effects of the national recession, but with its good fortune has come an unexpected problem: homelessness, as desperate job seekers flow into the state looking for work. Statewide, shelters are full, and soup kitchens are feeding as many as they can. Some homeless newcomers are living in cars, but as temperatures linger below freezing, many are bunking with acquaintances to avoid freezing.

By By James MacPherson, The Associated Press , February 08, 2010

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Jobless claims point to weak growth

Evidence that the economic rebound remains sluggish emerged from reports Thursday on new claims for unemployment aid and orders to U.S. factories.

January 29, 2010

Jobless insurance rates rise for some N.D. employers

Job Service North Dakota says unemployment insurance bills will rise for some companies next year, but rates will stay the same for a majority of North Dakota's businesses.

December 04, 2009

Jobless claims drop less than expected

The number of people claiming jobless benefits for the first time dropped less than expected last week, evidence that the labor market remains weak even as the economy is recovering.

October 30, 2009

Metro jobless rates fall as more workers drop

The unemployment rate fell in September in most metro areas, although that’s largely because more people gave up on job searches than found new work. “The job market is not recovering at all yet,” said Jim Diffley, regional economist for IHS Global Insight. “We’re looking at another jobless recovery.”

By By Christopher S. Rugaber, The Associated Press , October 29, 2009

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Higher jobless rate

Even with an economic revival, many U.S. jobs lost during the recession may be gone forever and a weak employment market could linger for years. That could add up to a “new normal” of higher joblessness and lower standards of living for many Americans, some economists are suggesting. The words “it’s different this time” are always suspect. But economists and policy makers say the job-creating dynamics of previous recoveries can’t be counted on now.

By By Tom Raum, The Associated Press , October 20, 2009

1.3 million to lose jobless benefits by year’s end

Jobless since January, Donald Money has already moved in with his elderly parents, stopped going to the movies and started using less of his prescription medication so it will last longer. This month, something else will fall by the wayside: Money’s unemployment check. The 43-year-old former printing press operator is among the more than 1.3 million Americans whose unemployment insurance benefits will run out by the end of the year, placing extra strain on an economy that is just starting to recover from the worst downturn in a generation.

By By Tamara Lush, The Associated Press , September 04, 2009

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Jobless claims drop, but figures clouded

The number of newly laid-off Americans signing up for unemployment benefits last week, and those using this safety net over a longer period, plunged. But the government figures released Thursday were clouded by difficulties adjusting for temporary shutdowns at auto plants. The Labor Department said new applications for unemployment insurance dropped by a seasonally adjusted 47,000 to 522,000, the lowest level since early January. Economists polled by Thomson Reuters expected claims to rise to around 575,000.

July 17, 2009

Congress to extend jobless benefits

Jarred by new jobless alarms, Congress raced to approve legislation Thursday to keep unemployment checks flowing through the December holidays and into the new year for a million or more laid-off Americans whose benefits are running out.

November 21, 2008