l******a
发帖数: 3803 | 1 The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance
payments rose for the first time in five weeks, a sign further improvement
in the labor market depends on faster economic growth.
Applications for jobless benefits increased by 17,000 to 361,000 in the week
ended Dec. 15, Labor Department figures showed today. Economists forecast
360,000 claims, according to the Bloomberg survey median.
Enlarge image
Applications for jobless benefits increased by 17,000 to 361,000 in the week
ended Dec. 15, Labor Department figures showed today. Photographer: David
Paul Morris/Bloomberg
1:26
Dec. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The number of Americans filing first-time claims for
unemployment insurance payments rose by 17,000 to 361,000 in the week ended
Dec. 15, Labor Department figures showed today. The U.S. economy grew at a 3
.1 percent annual rate in the third quarter, according to Commerce
Department figures released today in Washington. Betty Liu and Dominic Chu
report on Bloomberg Television's "In the Loop." (Source: Bloomberg)
3:03
Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) –- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke offers his
views on the outlook for Fed monetary policy and the so-called year-end
fiscal cliff of automatic budget cuts and tax increases. Bernanke speaks at
a news conference in Washington. (Excerpts. Source: Bloomberg)
5:08
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Jonathan Golub, chief U.S. market strategist at UBS
Securities LLC, talks about the so-called U.S. fiscal cliff, the economy and
stock market. He speaks with Matt Miller and Trish Regan on Bloomberg
Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg)
The figures signal the expansion probably needs to proceed more quickly to
encourage companies to hold the line on headcounts and step up hiring while
Congress debates the nation’s budget and tax rates. The Federal Reserve
said last week it intends to keep policy accommodative to invigorate the
economy and help sustain a decline in joblessness.
“This number gets us back into the range we’ve been in really since the
spring,” said Omair Sharif, a U.S. economist at RBS Securities Inc. in
Stamford, Connecticut, who forecast claims would rise to 360,000. “We’re
not waiting to see much more improvement on the layoff side. We’re just
waiting for the hiring side to get going.”
Estimates for first-time claims ranged from 324,000 to 379,000 in the
Bloomberg survey of 52 economists. The prior week’s applications were
initially reported as 343,000.
A Labor Department official today said there was “nothing unusual” that
affected today’s figures.
Third Quarter
Another report from the Commerce Department showed the economy expanded at a
revised 3.1 percent annual rate in the third quarter after a previously
reported 2.7 percent. The revision reflected more consumer spending and a
smaller trade deficit.
Stock-index futures maintained losses after the figures, with the contract
on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring in March falling 0.1 percent to
1,432.4 at 8:48 a.m. in New York.
The four-week moving average of claims, a less-volatile measure, declined to
367,750, the lowest since the end of October, from 381,500.
The number of people continuing to collect jobless benefits rose by 12,000
to 3.23 million in the week ended Dec. 8. The continuing claims figure does
not include the number of workers receiving extended benefits under federal
programs.
Those who’ve used up their traditional benefits and are now collecting
emergency and extended payments decreased by about 94,000 to 2.14 million in
the week ended Dec. 1.
States, Territories
The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits held at 2.5 percent
in the week ended Dec. 8. Forty-two states and territories reported a
decrease in claims, while 10 reported an increase.
Initial jobless claims reflect weekly firings and tend to fall as job growth
-- measured by the monthly non-farm payrolls report -- accelerates.
Employers took on 146,000 workers in November, above a median forecast that
called for 85,000, according to Labor Department figures released Dec. 7.
The unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, the lowest since December 2008.
A faster rate of hiring will likely depend on how lawmakers in Washington
resolve the so-called fiscal cliff of more than $600 billion in tax
increases and budget cuts set to start in January. Tightening in fiscal
policy is a “major risk factor” already harming investment and hiring
decisions by causing “uncertainty” or “pessimism,” Fed Chairman Ben S.
Bernanke said at a Dec. 12 news conference. The central bank “doesn’t have
the tools” to offset that event, he said.
Federal Reserve
Fed policy makers announced they would for the first time link the bank’s
main interest rate to unemployment and inflation and would expand an asset
purchasing program in January to spur the economy.
Modest economic growth is leading some U.S. companies to seek cost-saving
opportunities that involve trimming staff. Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK),
the U.S. natural gas producer that doubled its workforce in the past five
years to expand drilling, said Dec 14 that it’s cutting 275 jobs to reduce
expenses. Pfizer Inc. (PFE) is firing almost 20 percent of its roughly 3,000
- person sales force for primary-care drugs beginning this month to lower
costs, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 18. | b*****e
发帖数: 5133 | | C********r
发帖数: 114 | 3 奥核心反正已经上台了，不用担心数据不好看了，反正失业率已经降到8以内了。失业
的全注销户口，送往火星。哈哈！
Never had such a ridiculous government like his. | l****z
发帖数: 29846 | |
|
