Free Republic

Roughly 200 so-called "worker centers" across the country are representing employees who work in everything from the fast-food industry to the taxi business. But some key Republican lawmakers are asking if those centers are actually acting more like labor unions. The concern is that the rise of these groups has become a way around the rules that govern bona-fide unions -- like requirements to submit financial filings to the feds every year. House education committee Chairman John Kline, R-Minn., and Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., sent a letter this week to newly confirmed Labor Secretary Thomas Perez requesting that he clarify...

WASHINGTON— The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits in the first week of July jumped to the highest level in two months, but the increase may reflect temporary changes in summer employment patterns in large industries such as autos and education. Initial jobless claims rose by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 360,000 in the week ended July 6, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected claims — a proxy for layoffs — to rise to 349,000 in the week ended July 6 from a slightly revised 344,000 in the prior week.

Paul Solman: And how about kids that are not in school, what percentage of them ages 16 to 19 are not working now? Andrew Sum: Over half. If you're a high school dropout you're talking about 30 percent working. Among high school grads who graduated from high school in the last three years -- we do a separate survey of them the fall after graduation -- 45 percent of them held a job, the lowest in the last 50 years we've been collecting this data. And to make it worse, of that 45 percent, only half of them were able...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week in line with the recent moderate pace of jobs growth. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the previous week were revised to show 1,000 more applications than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to fall to 345,000 last week. The four-week moving average for new claims, which irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 2,750 to 345,750. A Labor Department analyst said no states had been estimated and there...

<p>The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to moderate job growth despite slowing economic activity.</p> <p>Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 3,000 more applications received than previously reported.</p>

If President Obama were to stand before the magic mirror and chant, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, whose is the most jobless recovery of them all?” the mirror would answer, “Yours is, Master.” We are now 46 months into our third jobless recovery since 1991, and this one is the most jobless by far. But wait! First quarter GDP growth was up from 4Q2012, and the stock market is hitting new highs almost every day. Doesn’t that mean that there is finally hope for the labor market? No, it does not. With current economic policies, the employment picture is not...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits climbed last week at the fastest pace in six months, a worrisome sign for the economy which has been hit by government austerity. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped by 32,000 to a seasonally adjusted 360,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was the biggest jump since November and confounded analysts' expectations for a more modest increase. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 5,000 more applications received than previously reported.

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama on Thursday will nominate a longtime fundraiser to run the Commerce Department and a top economic adviser as the next U.S. Trade Representative, a White House official said. Commerce nominee Penny Pritzker, a businesswoman, philanthropist and Hyatt hotel heiress, is Obama's final pick to fill vacancies among Cabinet secretaries in his second term. The Commerce post has been vacant since last summer, when former Secretary John Bryson resigned after he said he suffered a seizure that led to a series of traffic collisions. USTR nominee Michael Froman is one of Obama's senior economic advisers and a former...

All Phoenix-area locations of the Irvine, Calif.-based restaurant chain will be closed starting tomorrow, according to the Phoenix New Times.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, which could ease fears of a marked deterioration in labor market conditions after a surprise stumble in job growth in March. Also in economic news, U.S. import prices fell in March as weak petroleum costs offset a spike in food prices, according to a government report that pointed to benign inflation pressures. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 42,000 to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday, unwinding the jump in the prior week related to difficulties adjusting the data...

Clothing maker The Warnaco Group, recently acquired by New York City-based PVH Corp., is closing its operations at 470 Wheeler's Farms Road in Milford in early June and is laying off 208 people in the process. The layoffs are part of 1,000 that PVH is making as it closes former Warnaco's offices in Florence, Italy; Duncansville, Pa.; Huntingdon, Pa.; New York City, and Hong Kong, in addition to Milford. PVH, which owns and markets the Tommy Hilfiger brand, announced in October it was acquiring Warnaco, whose brands included Calvin Klein and Speedo swimwear, and completed the $2.8 billion cash and...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose to a four-month high last week, although the increase partly reflects seasonal distortions around the spring holidays. The Labor Department says weekly applications increased 28,000 to a seasonally adjusted 385,000. That is the highest level since late November. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose to 354,250.

The number of people who applied for new unemployment benefits jumped 28,000 to a four-month high of 385,000 in the week ended March 30, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, but probably not enough to suggest the labor market recovery was taking a step back.Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 357,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Still, they remained in the middle of their range for this year.The prior week's claims figure was revised to show 5,000 more applications than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications last week to rise to 340,000. Last week's report contained annual benchmark revisions to the series and...

<p>The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits edged higher last week, but a trend reading dropped to its lowest in five years and pointed to ongoing healing in the labor market.</p> <p>Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 336,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday.</p>

The good news: Initial jobless claims declined to 332,000 for the most recent week ending March 9. The expectations were for an increase to 350,000. The bad news: Initial jobless claims are back to where we were in March 2012. Remember, there are still 12,032,000 unemployment people in the USA. And we are back to the peak of the Carter-era recession. Continuing jobless claims fell as well. But this time it is back to the end of March 2012 levels. In terms of occupational growth rates, mid-wage growth remains negative leaving growth in only high-wage and low-wage occupations. Ah, the...

The grind lower in initial jobless claims continues, which from an upwardly revised 342k (was 340K) last week, declined to 332K in the most recent week ended March 9, on expectations of an increase to 350K. This was the third consecutive beat in a row and the lowest total print since January, which in turn takes it all the way back to January 2008. Continuing claims were also better than expected, dropping from an upwardly-revised 3113K, to 3024K, on expectations of a 3090K print. According to the BLS, unlike the last time we had an abnormally low print, no states...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell week, the latest indication the labor market recovery was gaining traction. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 332,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was the third straight week of declines. The prior week's claims figure was revised to show 2,000 more applications than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications last week to rise to 350,000. Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/2013/03/14/jobless-claims-labor-department-unemployment-insurance/#ixzz2NWEw2gn4

The unemployment rate may have fallen from 7.9% in February to 7.7% in January, but the number of people not in the labor force has set a record all-time high. The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines those not in the labor force as those who are unemployed and no longer looking for work, including those who retired on schedule or retired early. CNS News reported the numbers: “The number of Americans designated as ‘not in the labor force’ in February was 89,304,000, a record high, up from 89,008,000 in January, according to the Department of Labor. This means that the...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting a pick-up in the labor market recovery. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, declining for a second straight week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's claims figure was revised to show 3,000 more applications received than previously reported. Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/2013/03/07/jobless-claims-unexpectedly-fall-7k/#ixzz2MrcIfWML