Jobless Claims Still Signal Better Labor Market

Jan. 13, 2005
By John S. McClenahen For the week ending Jan. 3, 2004, initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 353,000, some 14,000 higher than the previous week's figure of 339,000, the U.S. Labor Department reported Jan. 8. Last week's figure also is ...
ByJohn S. McClenahen For the week ending Jan. 3, 2004, initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 353,000, some 14,000 higher than the previous week's figure of 339,000, the U.S. Labor Department reported Jan. 8. Last week's figure also is 8,000 higher than the 345,000 level that economists generally expected. However, the weekly figure was well below the 400,000 mark that separates an improving U.S. labor market from a deteriorating one. What's more, the Labor Department's four-week moving average for initial claims fell by 5,500 last week to 350,250. That's significant because the four-week average smoothes out week-to-week changes and may be a better indicator of underlying labor market conditions.

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...

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...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

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