Free Republic

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but the trend remained consistent with solid labor market momentum that could keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates this year. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 277,000 for the week ended Aug. 15, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 1,000 fewer applications received than previously reported. Economists had forecast claims slipping to 272,000 last week. A Labor Department analyst said there were no special factors influencing the...

U.S. jobless claims rose again for a third straight week but the numbers still indicated that the labor market was still strengthening. The amount of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose again from the predicted 270,000 last week, but the numbers are still indicative of a strengthening labor market, the government said Thursday. Initial jobless claims, cited when assessing the pace of layoffs, increased by 5,000 to 274,000 for the week ended Aug. 8, the Labor Department revealed Thursday, reported Reuters. Claims for the previous week were adjusted to show 1,000 fewer applications than previously reported. Even though claims...

WASHINGTON -- Slightly more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but their numbers remain near historic lows in a sign that the job market is healthy. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for jobless aid rose 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 270,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, dropped 6,500 to 268,250. That average has fallen nearly 10 percent over the past year, close to levels last seen in 2000. "Initial claims for unemployment insurance have been below 300,000 for 22 straight weeks, the longest such stretch since 1973," said Gus Faucher, senior economist at PNC Financial...

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased last week, but remained near cycle lows in a sign that the jobs market was gaining steam. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 267,000 for the week ended July 25, the Labor Department said Thursday. Claims for the prior week were unrevised at 255,000, which was the lowest level since November 1973. A Labor Department analyst said there were no special factors influencing the data and that only claims for Puerto Rico had been estimated. The four-week moving average of claims, considered a...

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, pointing to a solid labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 281,000 for the week ended July 11, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The decline reversed the prior week's rise and ended three straight weeks of increases. Claims tend to be volatile during the summer when automakers normally shut assembly plants for annual retooling. However, some of the companies keep production running, which can throw off a model the government uses to smooth the data for...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose last week to their highest level since February, suggesting some slowdown in the labor market recovery. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 297,000 for the week that ended July 4, the U.S. Department of Labor said on Thursday. Even with the rise in claims, the latest report marks the 18th consecutive week of new filings below 300,000, which is considered consistent with a firming labor market. The previous week's claims were revised to 282,000, showing that 1,000 more people filed than initially reported....

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans applying for first-time unemployment benefits rose last week, but remained at a historically low level consistent with an improving labor market. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs across the economy, increased by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 274,000 in the week ended May 16, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected 271,000 new claims. “U.S. labor market momentum remains solid in mid-May,” Barclays economist Jesse Hurwitz said in a note to clients. The prior week’s claims were left unrevised at 264,000. The Labor Department said no special factors...

Initial jobless claims rose slightly last week from a 15-year low while planned layoffs surged in April to a three-year high, providing mixed signals about the health of the labor market ahead of Friday's jobs report. About 265,000 people applied for first time unemployment benefits in the week ended Saturday, up from the previous week's 262,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists had expected claims to rise to 280,000 after hitting the lowest level since 2000 the previous week. The four-week average, which smooths out some volatility, fell to 279,500 last week. That was the lowest level since May 2000....

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits tumbled to a 15-year low last week and consumer spending rose in March, signs the economy was regaining momentum after stumbling badly in the first quarter. The economic outlook was brightened further by another report on Thursday showing a solid increase in wages in the first quarter, which should keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates this year. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 34,000 to a seasonally adjusted 262,000 for the week ended April 25, the lowest reading since April 2000, the Labor Department said....

The number of Americans seeking first-time unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, but remained consistent with an economy steadily adding jobs. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S. economy, increased by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 295,000 in the week ended April 18, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected 290,000 claims. Claims for the prior week were not revised. The claims reading had been volatile in recent months, but the figures are settling back near the lowest levels of the economic expansion. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths...

New claims for US unemployment insurance benefits rose more than expected last week to their highest level in six weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Initial jobless claims, a sign of the pace of layoffs, climbed to 294,000 in the week ending April 11, an increase of 12,000 from the prior week's slightly upwardly revised number. Analysts had expected claims would hold steady from the previous week. The four-week moving average, which helps to smooth week-over-week volatility, inched up by 250 to 282,750. A year ago the average was 316,000.

There were 281,000 first-time claims for unemployment for the week ending April 4, the Department of Labor reported Thursday. That was an increase from the previous week's revised 268,000 jobless claims, adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, but better than investors expected. The four-week moving average of claims, meanwhile, fell by 3,000 to 282,250. That average was the lowest since June of 2000, reflecting the ongoing improvement in the U.S. labor market. Low first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits are viewed as a positive sign for the economy, as fewer layoffs generally indicate greater net hiring. Thursday's good news comes after Friday's...

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting the labor market continues to expand at a solid clip even as economic growth has stalled. Sustained labor market strength supports views that the sharp slowdown in activity is probably temporary. A host of factors ranging from bad weather to a strong dollar has sucked momentum from the economy in the first quarter. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 268,000 for the week ended March 28, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was the lowest level...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose marginally last week, indicating the labor market remained on solid footing despite slowing economic growth. Output has slowed in the first quarter, undercut by a harsh winter, a strong dollar, weaker overseas growth and a now-settled labor dispute at West Coast ports, mostly transitory factors that should fade by the second quarter. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday acknowledged the moderation in growth, but maintained its upbeat view of the jobs market and signaled it was nearing an interest rate increase by dropping the reference to being "patient" from its...

New claims for US unemployment insurance fell last week after two weeks of gains amid severe winter weather, Labor Department data showed Thursday. Initial jobless claims fell 11 percent to 289,000 in the week ending March 7. The previous week's level was revised up by 5,000 to 325,000. "Harsher-than-usual winter weather likely boosted the level in the previous two weeks," said Jim O'Sullivan, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics, in a research note. "We doubt the underlying trend in claims has changed significantly. A sub-300K trend in claims implies continued strong employment growth and no let-up in the downtrend...

Initial jobless claims unexpectedly jumped to a nine-month high last week, an indication that severe winter weather could be putting a temporary freeze on the labor market's recovery. About 320,000 people filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week, up 7,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists had been expecting claims to fall to 300,000. Claims below that level indicate a strong labor market. Private sector added 212,000 jobs last month, down from January, ADP says Private sector added 212,000 jobs last month, down from January, ADP says In another read on the jobs market, planned layoffs...

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rose by much more than expected in the week ended February 21st, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said initial jobless claims jumped to 313,000, an increase of 31,000 from the previous week's revised level of 282,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to edge up to 290,000 from the 283,000 originally reported for the previous week. The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also climbed to 294,500, an increase of 11,500 from the previous week's revised average of 283,000. With the increase, the four-week...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits tumbled last week to its lowest level in nearly 15 years, adding to bullish signals on the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 43,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000 for the week ended Jan. 24, the lowest since April 2000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. It was the biggest weekly decline since November 2012. The drop, which far exceeded economists' expectations for a fall to only 300,000, probably exaggerates the strength of the jobs market as the data included the Martin Luther King...

The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week fell less than expected, dampening optimism over the strength of the labor market, official data showed on Thursday. In a report, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending January 17 decreased by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 307,000 from the previous week’s total of 317,000. Analysts had expected initial jobless claims to decline by 17,000 to 300,000 last week. Continuing jobless claims in the week ended January 10 rose to 2.443 million from 2.428...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week and job cuts declined sharply in December, suggesting the labor market is tightening. Thursday's reports support views of faster growth this year, driven by consumer spending, despite a faltering global economy. "Labor market conditions continue to improve, providing support for consumers and contributing to a virtuous cycle for the economy," said Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 294,000 for the week ended Jan. 3,...