US jobless claims rise to 586,000
Posted: 24 December 2008 2212 hrs
A woman looks at a job listing board in Oakland, California
WASHINGTON : New US weekly jobless claims rose by 30,000 over the past week to 586,000, the Labour Department said on Wednesday in another sign of a weak employment picture.
The figure was higher than the 558,000 expected by private economists and indicates employment, one of the best indicators of economic momentum, continues to struggle.
The four-week moving average, sometimes seen as a more reliable indicator, rose to 558,000 from 544,250 a week earlier, the agency said.
The insured unemployment rate was unchanged from last week at 3.3 per cent.
This meant 4.37 million Americans were receiving unemployment insurance over the past week. - AFP/ms
Posted: 24 December 2008 2212 hrs
A woman looks at a job listing board in Oakland, California
WASHINGTON : New US weekly jobless claims rose by 30,000 over the past week to 586,000, the Labour Department said on Wednesday in another sign of a weak employment picture.
The figure was higher than the 558,000 expected by private economists and indicates employment, one of the best indicators of economic momentum, continues to struggle.
The four-week moving average, sometimes seen as a more reliable indicator, rose to 558,000 from 544,250 a week earlier, the agency said.
The insured unemployment rate was unchanged from last week at 3.3 per cent.
This meant 4.37 million Americans were receiving unemployment insurance over the past week. - AFP/ms
