The unemployment rate has hit double digits for the first time since 1983 - and is likely to go higher. ...more

November 7, 2009

Productivity rises as jobless claims fall Productivity rose at an annual rate of 9.5 percent in the July-September quarter, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was much better than the 6.4 percent gain economists had expected. Unit labor costs fell at a 5.2 percent rate. ...more

November 6, 2009

A wise man once joked he would like to become a government program so that he could enjoy eternal life on earth. A slight exaggeration perhaps, but it could begin to feel like that's the case if we don't get the growth of government back under control fast. ...more

October 26, 2009

The number of newly laid-off Americans signing up for unemployment benefits last week and those using this safety net over a longer period both plunged. The government figures released Thursday were clouded by difficulties adjusting for temporary shutdowns at auto plants. ...more

July 17, 2009

The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for jobless benefits last week fell to lowest level since early January, largely because of the auto industry. ...more

July 10, 2009

A bit of sour news Thursday - in the form of increased jobless claims and higher wholesale prices - suggested the economy is moving in fits and starts even as the recession eases. ...more

May 15, 2009

Last Friday the U.S. Labor Department announced that nearly 540,000 Americans lost their jobs in April. As bad as that sounds, last month's jobless total was less than most economists had predicted. In fact, it was the lowest increase in joblessness in 14 months. Of late there have been a few other signs that the economy may not be recovering yet but its rate of decline has begun to slow. ...more

May 13, 2009

New applications for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in 14 weeks, a possible sign that the massive wave of layoffs has peaked. ...more

May 8, 2009

In other economic news: •Retail sales slip again. The Commerce Department said retail sales dipped 1.1 percent in March. It was the biggest decline in three months and a much weaker showing than the 0.3 percent increase that analysts expected. A big drop in auto sales led the overall slump in demand. Auto sales in March were 23.5 percent below year-ago levels. Sales also plunged at clothing stores, appliance outlets and furniture stores. ...more

April 15, 2009

Unemployment rates moved higher in all of the nation's largest metropolitan areas in February with Indiana's Elkhart-Goshen and North Carolina's Hickory-Lenoir-Morgantown registering the biggest annual increases. ...more

April 1, 2009