New jobless claims increase unexpectedly

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON - The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week as the recovery of the nation's battered labor market proceeds in fits and starts.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of new jobless claims rose to 480,000 last week, up 7,000 from the previous week. That was a worse performance than the decline to 465,000 that economists had expected.

The four-week average for claims, which smoothes out fluctuations, did fall, dipping to 467,500, the 15th straight decline, viewed as an encouraging sign that the labor market is gradually improving. The four-week average is now at its lowest point since late September 2008, the period when the financial crisis was hitting with full force.

Unemployment claims have been on a downward trend since this summer. That improvement is seen as a sign that jobs cuts are slowing and hiring could pick up as soon as early next year. But the rise in weekly claims of 7,000 last week, which had followed an increase of 19,000 the previous week, shows that the improvement has been halting.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34461464/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/

[Bonhomme Richard]

1. It's going to grow even more after the christmas season. n/t

[bedazzled]

2. i thought they said last week it was less than expected

my memory must be faulty

i feel like i'm living in orwell's "1984"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. They did

When I did the search for this story, prior to posting, the "less than expected" thread came up in the search results.

[bedazzled]

7. it's easy to fool people when they can't remember yesterday, i guess

i don't need newspapers to know how dire things are.
all i need to do is look around me

[Illuminated]

11. They did.

Typical. Put the lie out there first in big print and then tell the truth in a 4 point font.

[No Elephants]

9. Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe: "Less is more."

[galileoreloaded]

3. Nobody has ANY idea how bad this is going to get.....

there is a volcano grumbling right now, and the only question is whether it blows out the top or out the side.

No, I won't link, do your research for you, or respond to attacks low information trolls . The info is out there, and alot of it is here, on this site.

GR

[No Elephants]

8. Supporting your own statements is YOUR research. If you don't care

to do that, fine. Just don't expect your claims to have much credibilty.

(This is a general statement, not specific to "nobody has any idea how bad this going to get." Don't know how anyone would research that.)

[Mithreal]

18. What No Elephants said

You are sounding crazy.

Just trying to help.

I know, not the most positive way, but true.

[endless october]

5. but i thought they raised the chocolate ration from 20 to 15 grams.

start manufacturing goods in America. stop outsourcing jobs.

[phantom power]

6. double dip, anybody?

[No Elephants]

10. Not yet. Wait.

[defendandprotect]

12. The money we've given to the banks and financial houses should have been used . . .

to create jobs here in America --

We need to overturn the trade agreements and put corporations back in the box!!

Reregulate capitalism until it doesn't exist any more !!!

[tom_paine]

13. Only "unexpected" to people dumb enough to believe the Christmas Propoganda

Who would have ever thought our nation would cook it's books worse than the old Soviet Commies?

But now that it's here, only a fool would trust Imperial Statistics.

[rayofreason]

15. Hide the incline!

The government seems to be composed of climate scientists.

[DesertDiamond]

14. Hm. Wondering if the "downward trend since summer..."

is where they simply counted all those people whose claims had run out has "no longer in need." Wasn't that *also* a growing trend since summer? I know it was in my neck of the woods.

[Poll_Blind]

16. This is an important news item which might normally fall under the radar so...K&R! n/t

PB

[drdtroit]

17. Yes, these things are "unexpected" when one lives in an alternate reality! n/t

[Cal Carpenter]

19. My thoughts exactly

This is surprising to anyone?

Geez...head-in-the-sand must be a nice place to live, heh.

[Randomthought]

20. Some may have been from earlier layoffs

My significant other was laid off in March but had a big severance package (15 years with company) and wasn't able to apply for unemployment until after the severance had run out even though he has been looking for a job since January.

[Doctor_J]

21. Unexpected by the economists, who HAVE jobs

before I die I want to see every last CNBC liar and propagandist on welfare or dead from starvation