Spike in Jobless Claims: "Economy is STRONG, gettin' STRONGER" my ASS.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Unexpected Spike in Jobless Claims; Katrina Affects Tallies
Thursday, September 01, 2005

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168128,00.html

WASHINGTON — The number of out-of-work Americans seeking initial unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly by 3,000 last week to the highest level in nearly two months, the government said on Thursday.

The Labor Department (search) had to estimate jobless claims counts from Mississippi and Louisiana since officials were unable to contact offices in the two hurricane-stricken states, a department analyst said.

According the report, first-time jobless claims climbed to 320,000 in the week ended Aug. 27 from an upwardly revised 317,000 the prior week. Economists, on average, had expected claims to come in at 315,000, unchanged from the prior week's original reading.

While last week's numbers showed no effects from Hurricane Katrina (search), which hammered U.S. Gulf Coast states on Monday after blowing through Florida over the weekend, its aftermath will likely skew the data in the weeks ahead. Economists expect the deadly storm's toll on jobs and consumption to be severe, at least in the short run.

[whistle]

1. What is * sining...."Riding My Jack-Ass Through Crawford"?

[tritsofme]

2. I don't know if I would call that a spike...

320k is still a pretty good number.

Next weeks numbers will likely be bloody...

[xultar]

3. We're gonna have 4 million new jobless claims next quarter.

[Pharlo]

4. Well now, I'm sure if 'Gittin' on with my life' Bush were here,

he'd point out the economic upswing which will accompany the new housing market demand in the US coastal region of the Gulf of Mexico.

See, that's why he doesn't have time to concern himself with relief aid. He's too busy setting up a private bidding session among his 'base' for US government reconstruction funds. Just gittin' on with his life. Thinking long term "What's best for George."