U.S. Jobless Claims Edge Higher From Recent Lows, Showing Stabilization

Nov. 23, 2011
The four-week moving average of initial jobless claims, which helps to smooth out week-to-week volatility, fell for the fourth straight week, to a level only 1.5% higher than the lowest point of the year, in March.

New claims for U.S. unemployment insurance rose only slightly last week from seven-month lows, offering a sign of stabilization in the troubled job market, official data showed Wednesday.

Initial jobless claims rose to 393,000 in the week ending Nov. 19, the Labor Department said. The prior week's number was downwardly revised to 391,000 claims, the lowest level since April.

The number of new applications for unemployment benefits has signaled stabilization in recent weeks amid a tough job market in which the unemployment rate is at 9% and economic growth too anemic to spur job creation.

The four-week moving average of initial jobless claims, which helps to smooth out week-to-week volatility, fell for the fourth straight week, to a level only 1.5% higher than the lowest point of the year, in March.

The average dropped by 3,250 to 394,250 claims.

Since May 2009, the jobless rate has been stuck at 9% or higher, except for two months this year, in February and March.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2011

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

How Manufacturers Can Optimize Operations with Weather Intelligence

Nov. 2, 2023
The bad news? Severe weather has emerged as one of the biggest threats to continuity and safety in manufacturing. The good news? The intelligence solutions that build weather ...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!