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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New claims for unemployment benefits rose last week to their highest level since January, a development that could raise fears the labor market recovery was stalling after job creation slowed in March. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 380,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's figure was revised up to 367,000 from the previously reported 357,000. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims falling to 355,000 last week. The four-week moving average for new claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends, rose 4,250 to 368,500. The...

The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 8.5 percent last month as job creation was more robust than expected, providing continued signs that the nation's labor market is improving gradually. Growth in manufacturing jobs helped offset loss in government positions, while wages edged higher and the length of the work week also lengthened a bit. The unemployment rate — a hotly contested number because of the rise in potential workers who have quit looking for jobs — has fallen 0.6 percentage points since August. Economists had been looking for a number in the 175,000 range as both Wall Street and...

A federal program aimed at securing potentially dangerous chemicals is now in jeopardy after being beset by a series of deep-seated problems, including wasteful spending and a largely unqualified workforce that lacks "professionalism," according to a scathing internal Department of Homeland Security report obtained exclusively by Fox News. In 2007, Congress established the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program, which directs DHS to collect and review information from U.S. chemical facilities to determine whether they present a security risk. It is overseen by the Infrastructure Security Compliance Division -- or ISCD.

A scant 11 months into his incumbency, Gov. Cuomo this weekend surrendered to New York’s culture of corrupt profligacy — abandoning the no-tax-hike pledge that was a core campaign principle and laying to rest the notion that he’s a Democrat of a different sort. How high will taxes go now? Who knows? Right now, “negotiations” are under way — apparently intended to get the tax-hike heavy lifting out of the way before the Legislature convenes in a month. Time enough then to divvy up the spoils; just rest assured that every penny raised by the hikes will be spent in...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew at a slightly slower pace than previously estimated in the third quarter, but weak inventory accumulation amid sturdy consumer spending strengthened views output would pick up in the current quarter. Gross domestic product grew at a 2.0 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate on Tuesday, down from the previously estimated 2.5 percent.

Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Consumer confidence unexpectedly slumped in October to the lowest level since March 2009, when the U.S. economy was in a recession, as Americans' outlooks for employment and incomes soured. The Conference Board's sentiment index decreased to 39.8 from a revised 46.4 reading in September, figures from the New York-based private research group showed today. This month's reading was less than the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey in which the median projection was 46. Limited job availability, deteriorating home values and the threat of a European debt default are weighing on sentiment. A drop...

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week in a sign concerns about a weak economy were sapping an already beleaguered labor market, data showed on Thursday. Applications for unemployment benefits climbed to 428,000 in the week ending September10 from an upwardly revised 417,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said. It was the second straight week in which claims rose. Wall Street analysts had been looking for a dip to 410,000. Excluding one week in early August, claims have held above 400,000 since early April. A Labor Department official said there was no...

It is the most common adverb of the Obama years: “unexpectedly.” ● “Sales of U.S. previously owned homes unexpectedly dropped in July,” reported Bloomberg. ● “Manufacturing in the Philadelphia region unexpectedly contracted in August by the most in more than two years as orders plunged and factories shed workers,”reported Bloomberg Businessweek. ● “Consumer spending unexpectedly fell in June,” reported Reuters. ● “Dismal economic data on Thursday pointed to an unexpectedly abrupt slowdown in manufacturing and a pickup in inflation,” reported the New York Times’ business page.This is just in the past week; hundreds of articles each month note that some...

The labor market continues struggling to gain any footing as more workers than expected filed applications for unemployment benefits last week. First-time jobless claims increased by 9,000 to 408,000 in the week ended Aug. 13, the highest in a month, Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week's revised figure was 399,000 from an initially reported 395,000. The four-week moving average, a better gauge for the labor market than the weekly figures, dropped to 402,500 last week, from 406,000, the lowest level since April 16. Applications have been above 400,000 for 18 of the past 19 weeks and the economy isn't...

<p>Fox News has reported July jobless claims at 408,000. Economists were expecting 400,000.</p>

(Reuters) - Service sector growth slowed in July but stayed above a level indicative of growth, the Institute for Supply Management said on Wednesday. FACTORY ORDERS: Factory orders were down in June due to weak demand for transportation equipment. KEY POINTS: * The pace of growth in the U.S. services sector ticked down unexpectedly in July to the lowest level since February 2010.

U.S. consumer spending unexpectedly dropped in June for the first time in almost two years and savings climbed, adding to evidence that the slump in hiring is hurting household confidence. Purchases declined 0.2 percent after a 0.1 percent gain the prior month, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median estimate of 77 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a 0.1 percent increase. Incomes grew at the slowest pace since November. The lack of jobs combined with wage gains that have failed to keep pace with inflation raise the risk of further cuts in consumer spending, which accounts...

The Main Stream Media seems to be constantly shocked at how poorly the American economy is doing under ObamaNomics. Whenever poor business, house, or job news comes out, they are quick to throw on the word "unexpectedly," pretending that the economy is actually doing great, but this one time it hiccupped. But the problem is, the poor economic news is quite expected because of President Obama's incompetence . So, I decided to take some time and compile some of the "unexpectedlies" from the start of the year until today. But before I begin, just remember what Albert Einstein once said...

Many of us have noticed how progressive journalists use the word 'unexpectedly'. They do it month after month. Al Reuters has an article from last week that uses this word. Yet again, after all this time. What these are, are campaign advertisements. From the media, to Obama.(most of us know this instinctively) It's a fair question to ask. And if enough of us ask it, maybe we could find out just how much the media donates to it's preferred candidates.

Take away the Birth/Death adjustment of 206,000 and the Real NFP is: -150,000. This is the biggest monthly B/D adjustment in over a year. And if as all the pundit claimed last month, demanding the McDonalds addition of 62,000 janitorial, part-time jobs be added to the May number, the economy really lost over 200,000 in May.

That's Incredible!The pro-Obama media are always shocked by bad economic news. Unexpectedly! As megablogger Glenn Reynolds, aka Instapundit, has noted with amusement, the word “unexpectedly,” or variants thereof, keeps cropping up in mainstream-media stories about the economy. “New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed,” reported cnbc.com May 25. “Personal consumption fell,” Business Insider reported the same day, “when it was expected to rise.” “Durable goods declined 3.6 percent last month,” Reuters reported May 25, “worse than economists’ expectations.” “Previously owned home sales unexpectedly fall,” headlined Bloomberg News May 19. “U.S. home construction fell unexpectedly in April,” wrote the Wall...

Pending sales of existing U.S. homes dropped far more than expected in April to touch a seven-month low, a trade group said on Friday, dealing a blow to hopes of a recovery in the housing market. ... Economists polled by Reuters had expected pending home sales to fall 1.0 percent.

5.5 million: Americans unemployed and not receiving benefits. ... Many Americans, though, are simply running out of time. As of March, about 14 million people were unemployed and looking for work, according to the household survey. At the time the survey was done, about 8.5 million were receiving some kind of unemployment payments, according to the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration. That leaves about 5.5 million people unemployed without benefits, up 1.4 million from a year earlier. ... In the coming months, hundreds of thousands more will drop off the unemployment rolls. The number of people using up their...

New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits surprisingly rose last week to their highest level since January in a sign an anticipated recovery in labor markets may take time, a government report showed on Thursday. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 429,000, up from a slightly upwardly revised 404,000 the preceding week, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by Reuters were expecting claims to slip to 392,000 from the previously reported 403,000. Jobless claims below 400,000 are associated with steady job growth. The four week moving average, a better measure of underlying trends, climbed to...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, bouncing back above the key 400,000 level, a government report showed on Thursday. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 412,000, the Labor Department said.