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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2009

Jobless Claims Hit 26-Year High

The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of newly jobless workers seeking benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 626,000, from the previous week's upwardly revised figure of 591,000. The latest total is far more than analysts' expectations of 583,000.

That's also the highest since October 1982, when the economy was in a steep recession, though the work force has grown by about half since then.

Retail Sales Slip, But Not Too Bad

Retail sales for January fell 1.6 percent, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs tally - not as bad as the 2 percent to 3 percent drop expected, but still the fourth consecutive monthly decline. The index was helped by the better-than-expected results from Wal-Mart, which accounts for more than half the index. Excluding Wal-Mart, January same-store sales fell 4.8 percent. Wal-Mart predicted that same-stores sales, including fuel, will rise from 1 percent to 3 percent during the Jan. 31 through May 1 period.

Freeze Affects Florida Tomatoes Citrus growers and vegetable growers appeared Thursday to have weathered the statewide freeze better than expected, but tomato growers took a hit as temperatures stayed below freezing long enough to cause damage to some of those crops.

It will take days for growers to know the extent of the damage. Florida is the top producer of fresh tomatoes in the nation.
Google Adds Voice Search

Owners of the T-Mobile G1 cell phone who have been waiting for voice search can finally let out a collective sigh of, "It's about time."
Google is gradually rolling out the feature in a system update to its Android mobile operating system - the one powering the G1. Voice search has been available for a rival handset, Apple's iPhone, since November as part of the Google Mobile App.

Buffett Investing In Swiss Re

Swiss Re, the insurance giant, said Thursday that it was turning to billionaire investor Warren Buffett for a capital infusion, while Deutsche Bank and Banco Santander announced sobering forecasts, reminders that the credit crisis has yet to run its course.

Swiss Re, based in Zurich, said it would receive 3 billion Swiss francs, or about $2.6 billion, from Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett's holding company.

A wire report

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