Queue of newly jobless grows in US

[CShine]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The number of people filing new claims for US unemployment benefits soared at a faster than expected rate last week, government data showed. The number of new claimants jumped 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 349,000 in the week ended June 19, the Labor Department said. Private economists had forecast an increase of only 4,000.

The previous week, claims had slumped by 15,000, partly because of the closure of some unemployment offices for the June 11 funeral of former president Ronald Reagan.

A four-week average of new claims, which smoothes out weekly blips, rose 1,000 to 344,250. In raw, unadjusted figures, the number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits advanced 9,645 to 321,805. There were 376,560 claims in the comparable period last year.

The existing pool of claimants -- those lodging claims for two weeks or more -- leapt 75,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.97 million in the week ended June 12, the latest date for which those figures are available.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1203&e=4&u=/afp/20040624/bs_afp/us_economy_unemployment&sid=96001027

[mhr]

1. No News To Texans - See The Chart From The Dallas Fed

We have both poor replacement jobs and reduced jobs as well!

FWIW - I live In Dallas.

This chart is from the Dallas federal reserve. www.dallasfed.org

[hadrons]

3. let me guess who most Texans DON'T blame ....

[mhr]

4. Strangely Enough, Dallas, TX Is Close To A Democratic Majority

Dallas county is either there or pretty close.

Now if you travel just a few miles outside the city you'd be in Bubba country.

They just love * in Bubba country.

[GainesT1958]

2. As we recall Ronnie's words:

"Are you better off now than you were four years ago?":eyes:

B-)