Summary Box: Rising pink slips the biggest obstacle to a lasting economic recoveryOctober 2nd, 2009 Summary Box: Another cruel month for jobseekersRISING PINK SLIPS: Employers cut 263,000 jobs in September, after a reduction of 201,000 in August. Even though the economy is in a recovery, companies are still sticking with cost cutting.
Summary Box: 42 states lose jobs in August, up from 29 in the previous monthSeptember 18th, 2009 Summary Box: 42 states lose jobs in AugustSTATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT: Forty-two states suffered net job losses last month, up from 29 in July, the Labor Department said. Twenty-seven states saw their unemployment rates rise in August; 16 reported a drop.
Summary Box: Housing starts, jobless claims reports signal fragile recoverySeptember 17th, 2009 Summary Box: Mixed reports on housing and jobsGOOD NEWS: Housing construction rose in August, while fewer laid-off workers sought jobless aid last week, more evidence that the recession is over. BAD NEWS: The housing gain was due solely to an increase in apartment-house building, while construction in the much-larger single-family-home segment fell for the first time in six months.
Dollar slips as US unemployment jumps to 26-year high of 9.7 pct in AugustSeptember 4th, 2009 Dollar slips as unemployment rate jumps to 9.7 pctNEW YORK — The dollar ended slightly lower Friday after a report showing rising U.S. unemployment.
Summary Box: July unemployment rises in 44 percent of metro areas, was 90 percent in JuneSeptember 1st, 2009 Summary Box: Metro jobless rates improve in JulyGLASS HALF-FULL: About 44 percent of the nation's 380 largest metro areas saw their unemployment rates rise in July, a sharp improvement from June, when more than 90 percent reported an increase. Another 44 percent saw their rates drop.
Summary Box: Plunge in GDP slows in spring while jobless claims dip slightly last weekAugust 27th, 2009 Summary Box: Economists encouraged by GDP activityECONOMY SHRINKS: The gross domestic product, the total output of goods and services, dropped at an annual rate of 1 percent in the April-June quarter. The number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment benefits dropped slightly to 570,000 last week.
Summary Box: 17 states report lower unemployment rates; 26 see increasesAugust 21st, 2009 Summary Box: 17 states see lower jobless ratesWHAT HAPPENED: Seventeen states saw their unemployment rates decline in July, while 26 reported increases. Though joblessness is still widespread, that's an improvement from June, when only five saw a drop.
Summary Box: Jobless claims drop in positive sign for economyAugust 6th, 2009 Summary Box: Jobless claims drop as layoffs slowWHAT HAPPENED: The government said Thursday that initial jobless claims fell to 550,000 last week from 588,000 the previous week. While still high, new claims have dropped by about 50,000 in the past month.
Ireland's unemployment rate reaches new 13-year high of 11.9 percentJuly 1st, 2009 Irish unemployment hits 13-year high of 11.9 pctDUBLIN — Ireland's unemployment rate hit a 13-year high of 11.9 percent in June as a deepening recession pushed the welfare lines to record lengths, the Central Statistics Office reported Wednesday. The report said the number of people claiming jobless benefits has nearly doubled over the past year to 418,592, an unprecedented high dating back to the foundation of the Irish state in 1922.
Australia's jobless rate rises to 7-year high of 5.7 percent as companies cut workersJune 11th, 2009 Australian jobless rate at 7-year high 5.7 percentCANBERRA, Australia — Australia's unemployment rate rose to a seven-year high of 5.7 percent in May, government figures showed Thursday, reflecting job cuts at companies amid the slump. "We've always said we were not immune from the global recession," said Employment Minister Julia Gillard, which said the increase was in line with market expectations.
Summary Box: Layoffs slow, but jobless rate rises to 9.4 percent and will move higherJune 6th, 2009 Summary Box: Layoffs slow as recession easesJOB CUTS SLOW: Employers cut 345,000 jobs last month, the fewest since September and the fourth straight month that the pace of layoffs slowed. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RISES: The jobless rate rose to 9.4 percent, from 8.9 percent in April.
Russian central bank cuts interest rates by 1/2 percentage pointJune 4th, 2009 Russian central bank cuts interest ratesMOSCOW — Russia's Central Bank on Thursday cut its key interest rate by half a percentage point to 11.5 percent — the third time since April it has slashed borrowing costs to help its economy through recession. The bank said in a statement that the new refinancing rate will be effective Friday.
Summary Box: Jobless claims dip, but unemployment rate expected to keep risingJune 4th, 2009 Summary Box: Jobless claims dip, but work scarceJOBLESS CLAIMS EASE: The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for unemployment insurance fell Thursday, and so did the total number of people on the jobless benefit rolls. JOBS STILL SCARCE: Still, the drops were small and there is little indication companies are hiring.
Job losses slow to 539,000 in April; jobless rate rises to 8.9 percent, highest since 1983May 8th, 2009 Layoffs slow to 539K in April; jobless rate risesWASHINGTON — The pace of layoffs slowed in April, with employers cutting 539,000 jobs, the fewest in six months. But the unemployment rate climbed to 8.9 percent as many businesses remained wary of hiring given all the economic and financial uncertainties.
Singapore unemployment jumps to 3.2 percent in 1st quarter as manufacturing sheds jobsApril 30th, 2009 Singapore unemployment jumps to 3.2 percentSINGAPORE — The number of jobless Singaporeans jumped in the first quarter to its highest since 2005 as a slump in global trade pummeled the city-state's exports and sparked manufacturing layoffs. The unemployment rate rose to a seasonally adjusted 3.2 percent in March from 2.5 percent in December and 1.9 percent in March 2008, Singapore's Manpower Ministry said in a statement Thursday.