Posted on 02/20/2014 6:03:53 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to steadily improving labor market conditions, despite two straight months of weak hiring.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 336,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were unrevised.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits falling to 335,000 in the week ended Feb. 15.
The four-week moving average for new claims, considered a better measure of underlying labor market conditions as it irons out week-to-week volatility, rose 1,750 to 338,500.
A Labor Department analyst said no states were estimated and there were no special factors affecting the state level data.
The claims data covered the survey week for February's nonfarm payrolls report. Snow storms slammed parts of the country last week, which could have kept some workers at home.
The brutally cold weather was blamed for a sharp slowdown in hiring in December and January. Claims have been tucked in a 325,000-348,000 range this year suggesting no fundamental shift in labor market conditions.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Calling Rick, where are you?
It just means folks stopped looking again.
Where is the dip? Those numbers are the same.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-20/initial-claims-small-miss-stuck-8-month-average
“to a seasonally adjusted 336,000” out of work, job hires run around half that at 168,000 and they say we are growing?
The BLS numbers are conjured just like Obozo’s past.
All Lies and BS!
Blame it on the weather—too much cold and snow to go to the unemployment office.
Hasn’t the Dept. of Labor worn out their dart board by now?
The print came in a little above the expected number so it was a MISS, for the fourth time in the last five weeks.
Yeah, that's why. LOL
Haven’t you heard??? This is the first time it ever got cold in the winter. Also the first time it snowed in the winter.
What will their excuse be this summer? Too hot to go find work?
DC is more corrupt than any other place north of hell itself.
Stoking labor market hopes...? LMAO!
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 336,000...
Then we read this later in the article:
Claims have been tucked in a 325,000-348,000 range this year suggesting no fundamental shift in labor market conditions.
It appears their good news is no news?
New claims for unemployment benefits fell last week and new welfare claims increased it’s the new math and how to read between the lines.
haha 3000 in one week is within statistical variation so nothing can be proven to have changed and the 4 week average number is up!
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