There's that word again . . .
Posted on 02/01/2018 7:36:58 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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 Rico and the Virgin Islands had still not returned to normal months after the territories were slammed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Last week marked the 152nd straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller.
The labor market is near full employment, with the jobless rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Tightening labor market conditions have raised optimism among Federal Reserve officials that inflation will increase towards the U.S. central bank's 2 percent target this year.
The Fed on Wednesday left its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged and described the labor market as having "continued to strengthen." U.S. financial markets expect a rate increase in March. The Fed has forecast three rate increases for this year after lifting borrowing costs three times in 2017.
Last week, the four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 5,000 to 234,500, the lowest level since early November.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
At the rate we are going....we will have to haul in a bunch of Mexicans and illegals, within three years to filly jobs.
Anyone ever notice that the word “unexpected” implies the opposite meaning depending on whether the president has a (D) or (R) after his name?
There's that word again . . .
Probably a few colt jobs as well.
I was expecting to hear this.
Enemedia’s nothing if not predictable.
All together now... “unexpectedly”. You’d think they’d be tired of getting egg on their face and they’d quit using that word.
The market should be up...not today yet.
OMG I used to read that comic in between reading GI Combat and Our Fighting Forces
More winning please! #MAGA
No mention of the labor participation rate???
That number matters more that the unemployment rate.
Hahahahaha, good news is unexpected since we elected a REPUBLICAN President.
FU, Big Media, and the racist god you worship, too!!!
Translation: Unexpected= Against are most anxious hopes and wishes, and to the detriment of our socialist masters..
WAIT! That is the second time now I have seen that word (or some variant) show up in economic news that's good for Trump in the last few weeks. Remember when Obama became president and the recovery was incredibly sluggish because of his regressive policies? The media kept using the word "unexpected" in the headlines when the news was bad for Obama. Now they're using "unexpected" when the news is good for Trump!
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