Friday, June 5, 2009

Summary Box: Jobless claims dip, but work scarce

JOBLESS CLAIMS EASE: The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for unemployment insurance fell Thursday, and so did the total number of people on the jobless benefit rolls.

JOBS STILL SCARCE: Still, the drops were small and there is little indication companies are hiring. About 6.7 million people are receiving unemployment aid under the regular 26-week program, while 2.35 million more are receiving benefits through an emergency federal extension set up by Congress last year.

WHAT'S NEXT: The government's monthly employment report comes out Friday. Economists expect it to show that employers cut 520,000 jobs in May, sending the unemployment rate to 9.2 percent from its April level of 8.9 percent.

No comments:

Post a Comment