Time Magazine’s feature story this week is a sobering report on double digit unemployment. The magazine asks, frighteningly, if double-digit unemployment is here to stay. Economists had long since told us that when growth returned, jobs would return. But now, top labor analysts are wondering whether this truism still rings true. Has something fundamental changed […]
Unemployment at historic high, but layoff rate slows significantly
Another first Friday of the month, another unemployment report. This one is a real mixed bag. First, the really bad news: The unemployment rate is 9.7% — the highest it has been since June, 1983. Unemployment creeped up from a rate of 9.4% in July, and many economists predict that it will top out at […]
Unemployment Slowed in July. Is the Worst Behind Us?
The Department of Labor reported this morning that the number of layoffs slowed to a net total of 247,000 jobs lost in July — the fewest layoffs in a year and significantly less than the 320,000 that analysts were predicting. The unemployment rate also declined for the first time in 15 months by one-tenth of […]
Job Layoffs Takes a Turn for the Worse
The economic recession took a turn for the worse last month, according to a Labor Department report released today. There was a net loss of 467,000 jobs in June, up from the 365,000 losses that economists were predicting. In May, the layoff rate had slowed significantly to 322,000 jobs lost. This month’ figures mark the […]
How is the recession affecting you personally?
I came across an excellent post today by Denise Gabbard of the Cleveland Unemployment Examiner. She offers the most comprehensive link love I have ever seen on the subject of coping with unemployment. If you, or anyone you know, is currently looking for a job, you MUST check out Gabbard’s 100 tips, tools, and resources-to […]
President Obama Predicts 10% Unemployment
In an interview with Bloomberg News’ Al Hunt yesterday, President Obama confirmed what most economists are predicting — that the rate of unemployment will reach 10% by the end of this year. Although the rate of job loss has slowed over the past three months, employers have not started hiring new workers to keep pace […]
In the News: Mixed Signals on Unemployment Front
The Labor Department released unemployment numbers for the month of May on Friday, revealing some good news / bad news for the U.S. economy. 345,000 Americans lost their jobs in May — far fewer than experts had predicted. In January, 741,000 Americans were laid off — more than double May’s numbers. The dramatic slowdown in […]
Some Good News on the Unemployment Front
The Labor Department released its unemployment numbers for the month of April today and there is a bit of good news. The pace of layoffs slowed down last month to 539,000 jobs cut. More than half a million jobs probably sounds like bad news, not good (and, for those 539,000 people, it no doubt is). […]