Unemployment rolls hit 4.5 million

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20090101_Unemployment_rolls_hit_4_5_million.html

Posted on Thu, Jan. 1, 2009

Unemployment rolls hit 4.5 million

By Jeannine Ave
rsa

Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The number of laid-off workers drawing unemployment benefits rose to 4.5 million in late December, the federal government reported yesterday, and more Americans are expected to join the ranks of the jobless in 2009.

While new applications for jobless benefits dropped in the week that ended Dec. 20, economists attributed that mostly to the Christmas holiday, when unemployment offices were closed, and cautioned that a more accurate picture of layoff filings will not become clear until the holiday season is passed, around mid-January.

All in all, the picture that emerged yesterday was largely grim and is not expected to improve soon.

"It wasn't a very merry Christmas for most of the labor force, and it doesn't look like it will be a very happy New Year, either," said Richard Yamarone, an economist at Argus Research.

The Labor Department's report showed that people already drawing unemployment benefits jumped by 140,000 to 4.5 million in the week before Christmas, the most recent period for which that information was available. The larger-than-expected increase underscored the difficulties the unemployed are having in finding jobs.

That left continuing claims at their highest since early December 1982, when the country was emerging from a deep recession, though the labor force has grown by about half since then.

FULL story at link.

[valerief]

1. I'll bet January adds another million. nt

[know_your_enemy]

4. Bring Socialism

Lets rebuild our railroads, roads and infrastructure by sweat of the brow. Few will be unemployed and will solve LOTS of our nations problems.

[LaPera]

2. These are just the people who filed & are collecting - As always misleading, there are

millions and millions more people unemployed who have exhausted their claims and millions more who never had claims and remain unemployed....

Just volunteer at a kitchen or mission or shelter and see how many people are truly hurting (and watch the numbers grow each day).

All because of this republican depression - Bush corporatism, war for corporate profit. The republicans no government for the people only the rich & corporations ideology has bankrupted our nation and brought this country to it's knees....except for the filthy rich BushCo and their corporate friends & their follow thieves of the workers taxes....They are the greedy, selfish cold-hearted republican pigs, laughing, spending and enjoying these times!

[pinqy]

3. What is misleading?

This is not the unemployment rate, which is the official unemployment numbers.

The Unemployment rate is a household survey and has nothing to do with the figures in the OP, which are just those people collecting UI.