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The unemployment rate for black Americans fell back down to an historic low in February, after spiking up in January. Just 6.9 percent of black adults were unemployed in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the second-lowest such ratio since the agency has been keeping track. The low mark was set in December, at 6.8 percent. Then, the rate spiked to 7.7 percent, but that increase proved short-lived. President Trump has touted the fact that black unemployment has dipped so low on his watch, including during his State of the Union address. When the black jobless rate hit...

The U.S. economy did more than give jobs to 313,000 in February — it brought nearly three times that amount off the sidelines, where more than 95 million Americans still sit. Inside the glittering nonfarm payrolls report the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday were some even more inspiring numbers. Skilled labor positions surged with big increases in construction and manufacturing, which has seen its best three-month period since 1984. On a bigger-picture level, there was even more. The labor force surged by 806,000, the biggest move since September 2003, and now sits just below 162 million. That's due to...

US employers went on a hiring binge last month, adding 313,000 jobs, the most since July 2016, and drawing hundreds of thousands of people into the job market. The Labor Department says wage gains, meanwhile, fell from the previous month to 2.6 percent year-over-year growth. Strong hourly wage growth had spooked markets in February because it raised the specter of inflation. But January's figure was revised one-tenth of a point lower to 2.8 percent. The influx of new workers kept the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1 percent.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) is trying to prove that liberal arts majors are gainfully employed but they're not doing so all that clearly. For one thing, they call the report "The State of the Humanities 2018: Graduates in the Workforce and Beyond." What exactly is beyond the workforce other than unemployment and retirement? "While their unemployment rate has declined since the Great Recession, humanities graduates had a level of unemployment in 2015 that was modestly higher than the rate for the bachelor’s-holding population as a whole," the report proclaims. "The 4.3% unemployment rate among terminal bachelor’s...

New applications for unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to 222,000 in the second full week of February, the Department of Labor reported Thursday, the second-lowest mark of the recovery and a good sign for the economy. Forecasters had expected new jobless claims to remain steady at an ultra-low 230,000. Lower claims are good news because they mean fewer people are getting laid off. Thursday's mark is the lowest since the early 1970s, setting aside the week of January 13, when claims touched as low as 216,000. The report should raise expectations for a very strong jobs report for the month of...

A recent article in The Guardian dons the foreboding title "Robots will destroy our jobs — and we're not ready for it." The article claims, "For every job created by robotic automation, several more will be eliminated entirely. ... This disruption will have a devastating impact on our workforce." According to an article in MIT Technology Review, business researchers Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee believe that rapid technological change has been destroying jobs faster than it is creating them, contributing to the stagnation of median income and the growth of inequality in the United States. If technology is destroying jobs...

The numbers: Initial U.S. jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 221,000 in the seven days ended Feb 3. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch forecast a 235,000 reading.The more stable monthly average of claims declined by 10,000 to 224,500, the government said Thursday. That’s the lowest level since March 1973.The number of people already collecting unemployment benefits, known as continuing claims, dropped by 33,000 to 1.92 million.What happened: Missouri, California and New York saw big declines in unadjusted jobless claims, but in most states there was little change.

A Michigan dog owner was surprised to find out that the state approved his German shepherd for weekly unemployment benefits. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency sent a letter to lawyer Michael Haddock saying that a Michael Ryder was approved to receive $360 a week in unemployment, reports ABC News. The only problem is that Ryder is Haddock’s German shepherd. The letter claimed that Michael Ryder worked at a restaurant chain in Detroit, Michigan. “I’m not sure what he’s going to do with the money,” Haddock said.

Our strong economy continues to grow, as 200,000 new jobs were added in January 2018. Since Election Day 2016, American job creators have added 2,553,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate remains at a 17-year low of 4.1%. Job growth in construction was strong in January, with 36,000 new jobs created. January saw the third consecutive monthly rise in the wage growth rate, with a 2.9% 12-month increase in average hourly earnings. December 2017 wage growth rate was revised up to 2.7%; November 2017 was 2.5%. This may be the start of a welcome trend in wage gains, and marks the...

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to a tightening labor market and strengthening economy at the start of the year. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 230,000 for the week ended Jan. 27, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Data for the prior week was revised to show 2,000 fewer claims received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 238,000 in the latest week. The Labor Department said claims for Maine were estimated last week. It also said claims-taking procedures in Puerto...

Even as Democrats continue to obstruct and play politics, I have never stopped fighting for the people, and I have no intention of changing course. I promised Jan. 20, 2017, would be remembered as a new day for all Americans – the day the people became the rulers of this nation once again. For the past 365 days, that promise has been my guide. We are putting America first, making real change in Washington, and creating opportunities for all of our people. From coast to coast, there is a renewed spirit. Our country is roaring back more quickly than anyone...

If you're a Republican Trump supporter, the last few months have offered little in the way of positive polling news.  The last few days, however, have offered several glimmers of hope, all of which are linked to the robust economy.  We've been covering the drumbeat of upbeat economic news -- from low unemployment, to widespread optimism, to strong growth, to a booming stock market.  Here's a new piece of the larger puzzle, via the Washington Examiner: New applications for unemployment insurance benefits plunged by 41,000 to 220,000 in the second week of 2018, the Labor Department reported Thursday, the lowest level...

The total number of workers receiving unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in 44 years to end 2017, the Department of Labor reported Thursday. Altogether, 1.87 million people received unemployment insurance benefits in the last week of the year, the lowest such seasonally-adjusted mark since December of 1973. Benefits are available for up to 26 weeks in most states. The low number of people utilizing unemployment insurance is a good sign for the economy. Fewer people seeking unemployment benefits suggests that fewer people are getting laid off. Total claims have scraped the lowest levels in decades several times in...

President Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to highlight the historic drop in the unemployment rate among African-Americans, a day after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the rate fell below 7 percent for the month of December — the lowest mark for black Americans since the bureau began tracking the data in the early 1970s. "The African American unemployment rate fell to 6.8%, the lowest rate in 45 years. I am so happy about this News! And, in the Washington Post (of all places), headline states, 'Trumps first year jobs numbers were very, very good.' " Donald J....

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 6.8 percent unemployment rate for black workers in December, lowest in the 45 years the data has been tracked. Unemployment overall was 4.1 percent. Unemployment among black workers is at its lowest since at least the early 1970s, when the government began tracking the data. The black unemployment rate of 6.8 percent in December was the lowest since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking it in 1972, a year in which the rate ranged from 11.2 percent and 9.4 percent. In the 45 years the data has been tracked, the unemployment rate for black...

It has taken less than one year of Trump regulation-cutting, and just the prospect of tax reform, to create the best employment prospects for African-Americans in history, according to employment data just released this morning. Christopher Rugaber of the Associated Press reports: The unemployment rate remained 4.1 percent for a third straight month, the lowest level since 2000, the Labor Department said Friday.

U.S. employers announced plans to cut 32,423 jobs in December, bringing the year's total to a low not seen since 1990, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported Thursday. "The tight labor market, coupled with uncertainty surrounding health care and tax legislation, possibly kept employers from making any long-term staffing decisions this year," CEO John Challenger said in a statement. "However, 2018 may see an increase in job cut announcements, as companies realign with consumer demand." Cuts in 2017 totaled 418,770, 20 percent below 2016's number. In 1990, companies announced plans to cut 316,047 jobs. Last month saw 7.4...

French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire over his policy on jobless benefits after a press leak pointed to plans to tighten monitoring of people on the dole. The investigative weekly Canard Enchainé, citing an internal memo, said those receiving jobless benefits would be required to submit a monthly report on their job-hunting efforts. Politicians both to the left and the right of the centrist president assailed the idea of a monthly reporting requirement, with the Socialist Party tweeting that it was first mooted by the head of the employers’ federation, Pierre Gattaz. But Macron defended the plan in...

http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/LAUS/clfbycnty.aspx

This racist president is oppressing vulnerable communities of color with steady work. Here's a story you were very unlikely to see on CNN, MSNBC, in the New York Times or the Washington Post. As much as low unemployment numbers are a non-story for much of the MSM as long as there’s a Republican in the White House, one specific segment of the employment forces is making inroads rarely, if ever, seen before. Unemployment among black Americans has been hovering at or just above seven percent for past couple of months. That's still shamefully worse than the overall unemployment figure,...