More Americans sought unemployment benefits last week

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose for the second straight week yet remained at a low level that is consistent with more hiring.

Applications increased 12,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 294,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Despite the increase, other data suggests that the number of laid-off workers applying for benefits is still quite low.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, ticked up 250 to 282,750, just barely above the previous week's level, which was the lowest in nearly 15 years.

With fewer Americans seeking aid, the number of people collecting benefits fell to 2.27 million, the lowest in more than 14 years. The benefit rolls have dropped because some unemployed have found jobs, while many others have used up all the benefits available.

FULL story at link.



FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 file photo, job applicant Rafael Ferrer, 49, left, shakes hands with a representative of the Hilton Bentley Miami Beach hotel during a job fair at the Hospitality Institute in Miami. The Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims on Thursday, April 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150416/us--unemployment_benefits-2ddd3ee8b5.html

[yeoman6987]

1. Could it be the Walmart employees who will be out of work in

5 locations? 5X300=1500 employees....that would be close to explaining some of the increase.

[fasttense]

2. But I was told the economy had recovered.

So, why are more people filing for unemployment and why is Mal-Wart firing people....again?

Seems to me those are NOT signs of a good economy.

[maddogesq]

3. IMHO, the U6 is the most important thing to watch.

It's now dropped to it's lowest point in almost seven years, although over 10 percent is still way too high.

http://portalseven.com/employment/unemployment_rate_u6.jsp

Some works projects, a raise in the minimum wage, etc. are the things that would get this number down.

These weekly things are minor if you take into account layoffs for weather, retooling, buyouts, etc.