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发帖数: 2314 | 1 By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of newly laid off U.S. workers filing
claims for jobless benefits rose last week and sales of previously owned
homes fell in March, data showed on Thursday, indicating the 16-month old
recession was far from over.
At the same time, the number of people claiming benefits after drawing an
initial week of aid vaulted to another record high in early April, for the
14th consecutive week, the Labor Department said.
The reports dampened hopes that the recession, which is on track to become
the longest since the Great Depression next week, was close to reaching a
bottom.
"We still have a rocky economic climate and the major macro economic
indicators are still moving down. Households are worried about their income
and employment," said Lawrence White, professor of economics at the New York
University's Stern School of Business.
U.S. stocks extended losses on the data, while government bond prices
trimmed losses.
The Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment insurance
benefits increased to a seasonally adjusted 640,000 in the week ended April
18 from 613,000 the prior week.
However, the number of people claiming benefits after drawing an initial
week of aid jumped 93,000 to a t 6.137 million in the week ended April 11,
the most recent week for which data is available. It was the highest reading
of so-called continued claims on record.
The country's most severe recession in a generation has cost more than 5
million jobs since it began in late 2007 and economists fear this toll will
keep rising as businesses slash payrolls to protect profits.
Mounting job losses have eroded household incomes, already squeezed by the
collapse of U.S. house prices and stock market prices, curtailing big
purchases on things like houses.
Data from the National Association of showed the pace of previously owned
homes in the U.S. fell 3.0 percent in March to a 4.57 million-unit annual
rate. February's rate was initially reported as 4.72 million, but was
revised down to 4.71 million.
"Unfortunately, there's no sign yet of a recovery though you have the
conditions for a recovery with low mortgage rates and very affordable prices
," said Gary Thayer, senior economist at Wachovia Securities in St. Louis,
Missouri.
The inventory of existing homes for sale fell 1.6 percent to 3.74 million
from the 3.80 million overstock reported February. The median national home
price rose 4.2 percent to $175,200 from February, boosted by seasonal
factors. However, prices fell 12.4 percent compared to the same period a
year ago. | p******t
发帖数: 1598 | 2 MM还在赌场继续呼悠，再装一批拎包的, hehe |
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