The number of people filing new claims for jobless benefits fell to 11,000 to 445,000 this week, the Labor Department reported this morning. Economists had expected claims to remain around 455,000. But, alas, it is not all sunshine and roses in the labor market.
After failing to pass an extension of unemployment benefits earlier this week, the House tried again — and succeeded, 270 to 153. The Senate will take up its version of the bill when Congress returns from a week-long break, on July 12.
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Sandy More…
Sharron Angle, the Nevada GOP’s candidate for Senate, is arguing that the government should cut unemployment benefits to get the jobless back to work. Angle has a reputation for taking this hard line: In the past, she has said the unemployed are “spoiled” by jobless benefits — which More…
This afternoon, the House failed to pass a standalone bill that would have extended federal unemployment insurance benefits. Last week, the jobs bill pending in the Senate — containing those benefits as well as Medicaid aid for states and dozens of other provisions — died. Each week that Congress fails More…
Yesterday evening, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) withdrew his filing for cloture on the jobs bill, also known as the tax extenders bill or H.R. 4213, currently in the Senate. Instead, today, the Senate voted on whether to waive paygo rules on the $140 billion provision that would keep up More…
As I wrote earlier today, it is difficult to see the May jobs numbers as anything but a worrying disappointment. The stall-out in job growth might be temporary — but it is a stall-out. Private employers are not generating enough jobs to put a dent into the headline unemployment More…
The good news: Initial jobless benefit claims declined last week, to 453,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to come in at 455,000. The bad news: The number remains very high, the Labor Department revised its estimate for the previous week upward and the four-week average increased by 1,750 More…
This morning, another round of jobless benefits expired, with Congress away and hope of the approval of a new tier diminishing. And Sara Murray of The Wall Street Journal highlights one of the worst facets of the unemployment crisis: Nearly half of the unemployed — 45.9 percent, or More…
Tomorrow, the federal backing for some unemployment benefits will expire, with Congress away until next week. That means another wave of Americans will lose their benefits, extended in a series of emergency spending packages as part of the stimulus. Congress can retroactively fund the benefits — but the More…
The House on Friday approved legislation to extend the filing deadline for emergency unemployment benefits through November. It does not create new benefits.
The vote was 215 to 204. The bill — which also extends a number of tax breaks set to expire shortly — now moves to More…
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