The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, another sign that the job market is slowly
improving.
The Labor Department said applications dropped by 34,000, to 388,000, the lowest number since the week of July 12, 2008.
The level of applications has either fallen or remained unchanged in five of the past six weeks.
Unemployment applications below 425,000 signal modest job growth. But economists say applications need to fall to 375,000
or below to indicate a significant decline in unemployment. Applications for unemployment benefits peaked during the recession
at 651,000 in March 2009.
The level of applications can be particularly volatile during the holidays. But a department analyst said there were no unusual
factors affecting the report.

















IBJ Conversations
1 Comments
Add Comment
Obama kept us out of the depression that we were headed for because of Bush.