Unemployment News
The Daily Signal provides news and analysis on unemployment rates, labor participation, and the policies shaping economic opportunity.
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With Jobless Claims Soaring, Don’t Hold Aid for Small Businesses Hostage
For a third week in a row, Americans have experienced never-before-seen levels of initial unemployment insurance claims as businesses continue to lay off workers amid COVID-19 closures and slowdowns. Last week, an additional 6.6 million individuals filed for unemployment compensation, following a revised 6.9 million for the week that ended March 28, and 3.3 million…Rachel Greszler -
March Jobs Report: 701,000 Jobs Lost, Unemployment Jumps to 4.4%
The U.S. economy lost 701,000 jobs in March, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday. Total nonfarm payroll employment fell by 701,000 in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, reflecting the “effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and efforts to contain it.” March’s unemployment rate…Mary Margaret Olohan -
As Unemployment Nears 10%, Here’s How Congress Can Soften the Blow
Unemployment claims spiked by 6.6 million last week, meaning more Americans became unemployed during one week than the total already unemployed before COVID-19 hit the U.S. This marks a 3,000% increase compared to the levels of February’s weekly initial claims of unemployment, and it means the unemployment rate likely is around 9.7%—approaching three times the…Rachel Greszler -
Unemployment Claims Just Spiked 1,000%. How the Left’s Approach Will Make It Worse.
Unemployment claims spiked more than 1,000% last week, with initial claims rising from 282,000 to 3.3 million as businesses laid off workers during the coronavirus pandemic. This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims since the series of reports began over 50 years ago. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia noted: “This large increase…Rachel Greszler -
145,000 Jobs Added in December, Unemployment at 3.5%
The U.S. economy added 145,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate remained at 3.5%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday. In December, 145,000 jobs were added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report—about 121,000 fewer jobs than were added in November. Decembers’ unemployment rate remained steady at 3.5%, matching September’s unemployment rate, the…Mary Margaret Olohan -
Unemployment Dips to 3.5% as 266,000 Jobs Added
The U.S. economy added 266,000 jobs in November, while the unemployment rate dropped to 3.5%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday. The 266,000 jobs added in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, amounted to about 138,000 more jobs than were added in October. The surge comes after a 40-day General Motors strike,…Mary Margaret Olohan -
October Jobs Report: 128,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment at 3.6%
The U.S. economy added 128,000 jobs in October, while the unemployment rate rose to 3.6%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday. Despite a General Motors strike, 128,000 jobs were added in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report—about 8,000 fewer jobs than were added in September. Economists predicted the General Motors strike would heavily impact…Mary Margaret Olohan -
New Jobs Report Shows Record Unemployment Lows for Hispanics, Women
It’s time to celebrate: We have the lowest unemployment rate in 49 years, and wages continue to rise—especially for lower-wage workers. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor statistics reported that in April, the economy created a whopping 263,000 jobs, and the U-3 unemployment rate—the one commonly cited—fell from 3.8% to 3.6%. The alternate measure for…Timothy Doescher -
Trump Touts Low Veteran Unemployment Numbers
President Donald Trump celebrated low unemployment numbers for veterans Tuesday on Twitter while simultaneously taking a jab at the media. “Just announced that Veterans unemployment has reached an 18 year low, really good news for our Vets and their families,” Trump wrote. “Will soon be an all time low!” The president appears to be referencing recent media…Hanna Bogorowski -
US Unemployment Hits 49-Year Low
The U.S. economy added 134,000 jobs in September, falling under experts’ expectations by 46,000, according to Friday’s jobs numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate fell 0.2 points to 3.7 percent, matching the lowest rate since 1969. Economists expected the rate to drop slightly to 3.8 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal. August’s jobs numbers were revised upward from…Tim Pearce -
Geoffrey Owens and Historic Unemployment Rate Reinforce the Value of Work
As summer winds down to a close, the economy continues to fire on all cylinders. According to the Labor Department, the national unemployment rate remained at 3.9 percent for the month of August. As recently as President Barack Obama’s second term, it was more than twice as high. Black and Hispanic unemployment rates have now…Terry Muns -
Hispanic Unemployment Hits Record Low Under Trump
The unemployment numbers for Hispanic workers hit a record low under President Donald Trump in June, beating the previous lowest unemployment record from October 2006. Hispanic or Latino workers’ unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 percent, falling below the prior record of 4.8 percent from 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The new report also showed that 213,000 jobs were added in…Henry Rodgers -
Low Unemployment Rate Proves Pro-Growth Policies Work
The very positive April jobs report supports the idea that pro-growth policies are the best way to create more jobs, and attract more people into the workforce to fill them. In April, the U.S. economy added 164,000 jobs (slightly lower than experts’ predictions) and the unemployment rate reached its lowest level in over 17 years, at…Timothy Doescher -
‘Amazing’: Unemployment Hits Lowest Rate in 18 Years
Unemployment dropped to 3.9 percent in April, the lowest unemployment rate since 2000, after remaining unchanged at 4.1 percent for several months, the Department of Labor reported Friday. The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report revealed roughly 164,000 jobs were added last month, about 30,000 fewer than some experts predicted but continuing the longest streak of consecutive monthly job growth at…Tim Pearce -
Michigan Approves $360 in Weekly Unemployment to a German Shepherd
A Michigan dog owner was surprised to find out that the state approved his German shepherd for weekly unemployment benefits. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency sent a letter to lawyer Michael Haddock saying that a Michael Ryder was approved to receive $360 a week in unemployment, reports ABC News. The only problem is that Ryder is Haddock’s…Amber Randall -
Unemployment Claims Drop to Lowest Number in 45 Years
The total number of workers claiming unemployment insurance fell to the lowest level in 45 years, the Department of Labor reported Thursday. In the first two weeks of 2018, the number of applications claiming unemployment insurance benefits dropped by 41,000 to 220,000, the lowest recorded number since Feb. 24, 1973, when the number was 218,000,…Henry Rodgers -
Black Unemployment at Lowest Rate on Record
In Friday’s jobs report, black unemployment reached a record low: 6.8 percent. That’s the lowest black unemployment has been since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking unemployment, which started in 1972. “The lowest in nearly 5 decades and a credit to [President Donald Trump’s] economic policies!!” tweeted White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah….Daily Signal Staff -
Fewer Blacks, Hispanics Go Jobless Under Trump
More black and Hispanic Americans are getting jobs on President Donald Trump’s watch, the latest employment numbers show, although critics accuse him of ignoring such minority populations. The White House, not surprisingly, is happy to tout the results. Unemployment among blacks declined from 8 percent one year ago to 7.3 percent in November, according to…Fred Lucas -
Why Trade Doesn’t Cause Unemployment
Recently some have claimed that international trade is responsible for unemployment in the United States. It can be shown that over the last 40 years this has not been the case. Others have argued that imports destroy American jobs. Again, these claims are mistaken. According to Bryan Riley and Anthony Kim, senior policy analysts at The Heritage Foundation, “the…Tori K. Smith -
Long-Term Unemployment Remains High Despite Strong February Job Gains
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ February jobs report showed continued growth in the labor market. The payroll survey reported that employers added 242,000 net new jobs last month. The payroll survey showed unemployment remaining unchanged at 4.9 percent. Even more encouragingly, unemployment stayed flat despite over half a million (+555,000) new workers entering the labor…James Sherk