WASHINGTON (AP) - A number of applicants for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week, but applications are still above levels consistent with a healthy economy. Weekly applications fell seasonally adjusted 6000 403 000, the Ministry of Labor said Thursday. Figure previous week was revised to 409,000.
But the applications are ticking down. A four-week average fell to the fourth week, and 403000. A month ago, was 422250. Applications must come down below 375 000 to report a sustained growth in employment. They have not been below that level since February.
Economists have been close to unemployment benefits, the relationship for fear of another recession intensified in August. Layoffs and applications tend to increase at the beginning of a step back. The slow decline in applications proposing to take slowly, but layoffs are not worsening.
The weekly jobless claimsBut the applications are ticking down. A four-week average fell to the fourth week, and 403000. A month ago, was 422250. Applications must come down below 375 000 to report a sustained growth in employment. They have not been below that level since February.
Economists have been close to unemployment benefits, the relationship for fear of another recession intensified in August. Layoffs and applications tend to increase at the beginning of a step back. The slow decline in applications proposing to take slowly, but layoffs are not worsening.
Fired Employers hiring this spring, after the rise in gas prices cut into consumer spending and in Japan on March 11 earthquake supply chains interrupted. This slows down the U.S. auto production. Auto output has increased in recent months, gas prices have declined since their peak in early May These trends are likely to increase growth in July-September quarter, to about an annual rate of 2.5%, economists predict. This is an improvement over the annual rate of 0.9% for the first six months of this year. But it is not enough to stimulate growth more jobs.
Employers have added an average of only 72,000 jobs per month, the last five months. This is well below the 100,000 per month is needed to control population growth. And that is a decline of 180 000 on average, the first four months of this year. In September, the economy has created 103,000 net new jobs. That was enough to calm fears of recession, but that was not enough to lower the unemployment rate, which stood at 9.1%.