US jobless aid applications decline to 289,000

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, a sign of solid job security and growing confidence among employers.

Weekly unemployment benefit applications dropped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 289,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That is the lowest level since late October.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, declined 750 to 298,750.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. The average has fallen nearly 13 percent in the past year, evidence the job market is improving. Companies are cutting fewer jobs as the economy expands and hiring has picked up.

FULL story at link.



In this Nov. 25, 2014 photo, former student Nathaniel Simmons operates a crane during a day of training at Georgia College of Construction. The Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014 (AP Photo/Branden Camp)

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20141218/us-unemployment-benefits-7e0d73bbce.html

[DeSwiss]

1. Lies, damn lies and statistics.

''Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, a sign of solid job security and growing confidence among employers.''

- Signs and portents, eh? I wonder if they used goat entrails or woolyworm fur length?

[AllyCat]

2. Does this include all the unanswered requests from Wisconsin?

If you don't answer the phones, you can say you had fewer requests. Voila! Unemployment problem solved!

[KinMd]

3. My God, Obama continues to ruin the economy

[candelista]

5. Is this sarcasm?

I really can't tell.

[candelista]

4. After exhausting your benefits, you can't apply anymore.

That would have an impact on these numbers.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. These are initial claims, not continuing claims. NT

[candelista]

9. Irrelevant. nt

[Kingofalldems]

6. Pure communism. And muslin-ism too.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. ETA News Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report (12/18/2014)

Source: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Read More: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20142262.pdf

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending December 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 289,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 294,000 to 295,000. The 4-week moving average was 298,750, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 299,250 to 299,500.
....

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent for the week ending December 6, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 6 was 2,373,000, a decrease of 147,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up 6,000 from 2,514,000 to 2,520,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,397,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 1,500 from 2,385,500 to 2,387,000.
....

UNADJUSTED DATA

....
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending November 29 was 2,576,605, an increase of 422,949 from the previous week. There were 4,423,024 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2013.