Category: unemployment

Red States Lead In Employment, Blue States Get Props for Sharpness of Rebound: Report

Red states, on the whole, recorded the lowest rates of unemployment in the United States in August, although blue states led the way in terms of the sharpest reduction in their rates of unemployment over the past year, new government data shows. The top seven states with the lowest unemployment rates in August were Alabama (3.1…


China Sees 1 in 7 Young Urban Workers Jobless: Official Data

Monthly updated data indicates one out of every seven young urban workers in China failed to find employment in August, including graduates from high schools, colleges, and universities. China’s urban unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in August, while the rate for those aged 16-24 is three-times higher sitting at 15.3 percent, the National Bureau of…


Jobless Claims Rise as Pandemic Fears and Supply Chain Crunch Weigh on Recovery

The number of American workers who filed for unemployment rose last week after touching a pandemic-era low in the prior week, with the spread of the Delta variant and supply chain issues weighing on the labor market recovery. First-time filings for unemployment insurance—a proxy for layoffs—came in at 332,000 for the week ending Sept. 11,…


Americans Should Be Working Hard, Not Hardly Working

Commentary The Labor Department reported this week that there are now a record 10.9 million jobs open in America. That’s twice the size of the entire Ohio workforce. Yet the department also has counted some 8 million unemployed Americans. What in the world is going on here? Why aren’t the 8 million workers allegedly looking…


Mortgage Rates Remain Relatively Flat as Economy Loses Momentum: Freddie Mac

Mortgage rates remain relatively flat as the economy has lost momentum amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. According to the data released Thursday by the federally chartered mortgage investor, the rate on a 30-day fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.88 percent for the week ending Sept. 9, up slightly from 2.87 percent…


Wall Street Powers Higher as Jobless Claims Fall to New Pandemic-Era Low

The Labor Department announced on Sept. 9 that the number of American workers who filed for unemployment last week hit a fresh pandemic-era low, with the labor market recovery signal giving an immediate boost to risk assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies. First-time filings for unemployment insurance—a proxy for layoffs—came in at 310,000 for the week…


Jobless Claims Fall to New Pandemic-Era Low, Market Reaction Mixed

The Labor Department announced on Sept. 9 that the number of American workers who filed for unemployment last week hit a fresh pandemic-era low, giving an immediate upward jolt to risk assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies, followed by pullbacks as investors mulled mixed signals around the state of the economy. First-time filings for unemployment insurance—a…


Furlough Total in UK Falls to New Low as Many Return to Work

LONDON—The number of workers still on furlough in Britain has fallen to its lowest level since a salary support program was first introduced at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic 18 months ago, official figures showed Thursday. HM Revenue and Custom, which compiles the data, said that 1.6 million people remained on the government’s support…


Unemployment Rises Among Blacks, Teenagers, and Those With Associate Degree

Friday’s non-farm payrolls report—a barometer of America’s labor market health—not only reflected below-expectations job growth in August but also showed unemployment rising for black workers, teenagers, and those with some college or an associate degree. The Labor Department’s jobs report, released Sept. 3, showed that non-farm payroll employment rose by 235,000 in August, down from an upwardly…


Weekly Jobless Claims Fall to Fresh Pandemic-Era Low

Another 340,000 American workers filed for unemployment last week, a historically elevated number that nonetheless marked the lowest weekly level of jobless claims since the pandemic struck. First-time filings for unemployment insurance, a proxy for layoffs, came in at 340,000 for the week ending Sept. 2, a drop of 14,000 from the previous week’s revised…