Jobless claims inch up, but remain near 7-year low

MSNBC ^ | 04/17/2014 | Steve Benen

[SeekAndFind]

Initial unemployment claims improved unexpectedly last week to a level unseen in seven years, and though the new figures from the Labor Department aren’t quite as good, they’re close.

The number of people who applied for unemployment-insurance benefits ticked up by 2,000 to 304,000 in the week that ended April 12, a slight increase from the lowest level since 2007, signaling that employers are maintaining a slow pace of layoffs, according to government data released Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected claims to total a seasonally adjusted 315,000 in the latest weekly data. The average of new claims over the past month dropped by 4,750 to 312,000, hitting the lowest level since October 2007, just two months before the recession began.

To reiterate the point I make every Thursday morning, it’s worth remembering that week-to-week results can vary widely, and it’s best not to read too much significance into any one report.

[SeekAndFind]

It's fun with Thursday job numbers once again.

[Gaffer]

If they “inch up” they cannot be at a 7 year low. Fricking dissembling idiots.

[Texas Eagle]

Since MSNBC can’t bring itself to say it, I’ll say it for them: Thank God for Texas, N. Dakota and fracking.

[Ken522]

Somebody is trying to put lipstick on a pig again ...

[Wyatt's Torch]

[Night Hides Not]

To reiterate the point I make every Thursday morning, it’s worth remembering that week-to-week results can vary widely, and it’s best not to read too much significance into any one report.

Is the author implying that he's about as useful as teats on a hog?

[mountainlion]

Meanwhile http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx the liberal pollster has Payroll population ( the people working) at 43#, total unemployment at 7.6% and unemployed at 17.3%

[irish guard]

it’s a meaningless stat. People in the workforce is the only one that matters and right now it sucks.

[BitWielder1]

There are Lies, Damn Lies and when that's not enough we have Statistics.

[ThunderSleeps]

...signaling that employers are maintaining a slow pace of layoffs...

Great news! We're still losing jobs, but only slowly! Woo hoo, we're high on the hog now baby! :-/

Anyone else think this is some of the dumbest "good news" ever reported? The MSM types are so desperate to put a positive spin - or at least avoid negative language - that they come of looking laughably disconnected from reality.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Been trending downward for 15+ years driven by women. Participation rate for men has been trending downward for 50 years. Demographics is a piece of the equation.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

“Inch up.” “Remain at 7 year low.” But why are they so “low” to begin with? Because the economy created a ton of new jobs over the past couple of years? Or because people dropped out of the workforce because they were so depressed that they gave up looking for work or jumped on the SSI disability bandwagon? Pravda would be proud.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Those little piggies love their momma.

[IC Ken]

What this chart shows me is that there are ALOT of people that have been on unemployment a very long time. Many off the roles.

[Fresh Wind]

Oh, yeah, there’s that word again!

As predictable as the sun rising and setting.

[Wyatt's Torch]

No we aren’t losing jobs (except in the government sector). Private sector employment is at an all time high

http://www.businessinsider.com/private-payrolls-peak-2014-4

[Texas Eagle]

Jobless claims remain near a 7 year low? That sucks.

That means fewer and fewer people are able to stay home and paint and learn the harmonica and all the other wonderful options available to the unemployed.

I hope nobody pings Nanzi Pelosi about these numbers. She'll have a meltdown.

[Wyatt's Torch]

No that’s incorrect. This chart if for initial (first time) claims.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Baloney.

Jobless claims are very, very high.

Both parties are to blame. We have sent FAR too many jobs to China.

Bring them back to America.

[Night Hides Not]

What this chart shows me is that there are ALOT of people that have been on unemployment a very long time. Many off the roles.

Yep, at some point you run out of those in the position to file a first-time jobless claim. Good thing cable news channels have MH370, the South Korean ferry disaster, and Cliven Bundy to fill their programming day.