Jan. 7 at 8:15 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Jobs/employment,
Layoffs
By Tribune newspapers
Employers across the country added a modest 103,000 jobs to their payrolls in December, the government said Friday, closing out the year with a bit of whimper instead of the bang that some economists were expecting.
The Labor Department report, however, showed that the unemployment rate dropped dramatically last month to 9.4 percent, from 9.8 percent in November. The drop was likely due at least in part to statistical adjustments, as the government’s count of unemployed workers fell by 556,000 to 14.5 million. Get the full story »
Jan. 4 at 12:43 p.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Jobs/employment
By Associated Press
Unemployment rates rose in more than two-thirds of the nation’s largest metro areas in November, a sharp reversal from the previous month and the most since June.
The Labor Department says unemployment rates rose in 258 of the 372 largest cities, fell in 88 and remained the same in 26. That’s worse than the previous month, when the rate fell in 200 areas and rose in 108. Get the full story »
Dec. 30, 2010 at 7:42 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Government,
Jobs/employment,
Layoffs
By Associated Press
New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits dropped more than expected last week to touch their lowest level in more than two years, suggesting the labor market recovery was gaining strength. Get the full story »
Dec. 9, 2010 at 7:37 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Jobs/employment,
Layoffs
By Reuters
New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week and the four-week moving average hovered at two-year lows, according to a government report on Thursday that revived hopes a labor market recovery was under way.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 421,000, the Labor Department said. Get the full story »
Dec. 3, 2010 at 9:59 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Government,
Jobs/employment,
Layoffs,
Updated
By Los Angeles Times
Job candidates at a World Women in Technology career fair at Chicago's Navy Pier in October. (Tim Boyle/Getty)
In a major setback for the economy, the nation’s jobless rate jumped to 9.8 percent in November as employers added surprisingly few new jobs over the month, the government said Friday.
The unemployment rate had been at 9.6 percent in the prior three months. The increase last month came as employers added just 39,000 jobs in November — a sharp drop-off from a revised 172,000 job gains in October and an average monthly gain of 86,000 this year. Get the full story »
Nov. 29, 2010 at 4:15 p.m.
Filed under:
Regulations,
Retirement
By Reuters
The Department of Labor on Monday proposed a rule that will require employers to provide more information to their employees about the role of “target date” mutual funds in retirement plans.
Target date funds are often included in employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, as a default option if employees fail to actively pick their own investments. Get the full story »
By Reuters
In this Sept. 20, 2010 photograph, people attend a job fair at a hotel in Boston. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
New U.S. claims for jobless benefits barely rose last week and manufacturing activity in the country’s Mid-Atlantic region touched a near one-year high in November, more proof the economy was regaining momentum.
The improving economic picture also was enhanced by another report on Thursday showing a gauge of future activity increased 0.5 percent in October.
However, the data are not robust enough to deter the Federal Reserve from fully implementing its much criticized program to purchase $600 billion worth of government debt to push already low interest rates down to stimulate the economy. Get the full story »
Nov. 17, 2010 at 8:42 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Economy,
Government
By Associated Press
Consumer prices rose moderately in October but there was little sign of inflation as the cost of autos, clothing and hotels fell. Gasoline prices accounted for most of the increase, rising by 4.6 percent in October, the biggest gain since July.
The Labor Department said Wednesday the Consumer Price Index rose by 0.2 percent last month, an increase from September’s 0.1 percent rise. Wall Street analysts had expected a slightly larger increase. It was the fourth straight rise.
Nov. 5, 2010 at 8:22 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Government,
Jobs/employment,
Layoffs
By Tribune newspapers
The nation’s sluggish job market showed signs of life in October: Employers added a net 151,000 jobs over the month, and private-sector job creation was the strongest since April, the Labor Department said Friday.
However, the better-than-expected job gains weren’t large enough to bring down the unemployment rate, which remained stuck at 9.6 percent for the third month in a row. A broader measure of unemployment and underemployment, which includes part-time workers who can’t find full-time jobs, dropped a notch to 17 percent last month. Get the full story »
Nov. 4, 2010 at 7:52 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Jobs/employment,
Layoffs
By Associated Press
The number of people seeking jobless benefits jumped sharply last week, after two straight weeks of declines. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for unemployment aid rose by 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000 for the week ending Oct. 30. Wall Street analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a smaller rise.
Nov. 4, 2010 at 7:37 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Jobs/employment
By Associated Press
The Labor Department says productivity grew at an annual rate of 1.9 percent in the third quarter, a rebound from a decline of 1.8 percent in the second quarter. That was the biggest drop in nearly four years. Labor costs fell at a 0.1 percent rate in the third quarter after having risen 1.3 percent in the second quarter.
Oct. 21, 2010 at 2:26 p.m.
Filed under:
Policy,
Retirement
By Associated Press
The Department of Labor says it wants to expand the number of consultants and advisers it can hold legally responsible for the advice they give retirement plan providers. Get the full story »
Oct. 15, 2010 at 7:41 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Economy,
Government
By CNN
Consumer prices are up slightly over last year driven by climbing food and energy costs, according to a government report released Friday.
The Consumer Price Index, a key measure of inflation, rose 1.1 percent over the last 12 months ending in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday. Any number above zero means prices are rising, but a rate around 1 percent is considered very slow growth. Get the full story »
Oct. 8, 2010 at 10:27 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Government,
Jobs/employment,
Labor
By Los Angeles Times
The nation’s bleak employment picture dimmed in September as private-sector hiring weakened and the economy lost a net 95,000 jobs over the month.
The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate last month remained at 9.6 percent, but that reflected a stagnant labor force in which people did not enter or return to the labor market to look for work. In what may be a more meaningful indicator this time, a broader measure of unemployed and underemployed workers, including part-timers who can’t find full-time work, rose to 17.1 percent last month from 16.7 percent in August.
Oct. 7, 2010 at 7:38 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Government,
Jobs/employment,
Labor
By Dow Jones Newswires
In a good sign for the job market, the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell last week to their lowest level since July 10.
Initial unemployment claims dropped 11,000, to 445,000, in the week ended Oct. 2, the Labor Department said in its weekly report Thursday. New claims for the previous week, ended Sept. 25, were revised upward slightly to 456,000 from 453,000. Get the full story »
