Jobless claims flat

[Yavin4]

--snip--
New jobless claims slipped in the United States last week, the government said Thursday, though slightly more people filed claims than Wall Street expected.

--snip--
Continued claims, the number of people out of work for a week or more, rose to 3.13 million for the week ended Jan. 17, the latest data available, from a revised 3.12 million the prior week.

Now for the best part:
Though it usually takes a while for unemployment to fall once the economy's started growing again -- since employers are hesitant to start hiring until they believe the recovery is for real -- the United States has enjoyed eight straight quarters of growth, including the strongest performance in 20 years in the third quarter, without significant job creation.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/29/news/economy/jobless/index.htm



The economic growth that they're talking about is all debt growth.

[JeebusH]

1. "economic growth that they're talking about is all debt growth"

yeah, if I max out my credit cards my spending power would grow 1000%, but no one would say that excellent long-term policy to follow

[ihaveaquestion]

2. Economic growth

isn't based on how many are employeed or unemployeed. It's based on spending and production vs expenses. Spending and production are both up and corporations expenses are down - mostly from laying off American workers. Those who have increased employment have done so largely in India, China and Mexico.

Don'cha just love globalization!

[Bandit]

3. Republicans just don't get it

If I receive a tax cut I am not going to run out and hire a new worker. I will hire a new worker when and only when my business picks up to the point I need new help. Most of the people who received any significant tax cut won't spend one additional dime of it. They may invest some in bonds or currency but going to the mall, forget it. That is for common folk and they just did not get that much back. Republicans are by all appearance quite stupid when it comes to financial matters for the masses. they do quite well when it is money for them and them only. Greed unadulterated Greed.

[Yavin4]

4. Most Businesses Don't Pay That Much In Taxes Anyway

In particular large corporations don't pay that much in taxes after the litany of tax credits and write-offs.

The only way you're going to get businesses to hire people is to break up these large monopolies and oligopolies. The anti-trust act is becoming a joke. We need to break up these large corporations in order to generate more job growth.

Mergers and acquisitions are job killers.

[polmaven]

5. It is about to grow by 1

My "temp" assignment came to an end yesterday. I had hoped it would be a temp to perm situation, but they would not offer me enough to go perm. I actually made more as a temp, and, it is likely I will have at least another temp position within a few weeks.

As far as the 3rd quarter 8+% growth, well, duh.....The economy had gotten so bad, spnding money was so scarce, once the middle class got those rebates, there was a lot they needed to buy with that money. It will take a lot for anything near that growth rate to repeat.

'Course, the military spending has had nothin' to do with it, I'm sure!