claims | The Obama Diary

Posts Tagged ‘claims

Nov

Rise and Shine

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EDT

9:20: The President departs the White House

10:35: Arrives Green Bay, Wisconsin

10:40: Delivers remarks at Austin Straubel International Airport, Green Bay

11:45: Departs Green Bay

PDT

1:15: Arrives Las Vegas

2:10: Delivers remarks at Cheyenne Sports Complex, Las Vegas

3:25: Departs Las Vegas

MDT

5:55: Arrives Denver, Colorado

7:0: Delivers remarks at Coors Events Center, Denver

8:45: Departs Denver

EDT

1:05: Arrives Columbus, Ohio where he will stay overnight

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Steve Benen: If the White House hopes to see initial unemployment claims drop just before the election, officials got their wish. The new figures from the Department of Labor – the last report before Election Day – show a move in the right direction:

Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 363,000 in the week of Oct. 21-27, keeping them in a range that indicates little change in U.S. hiring patterns over the past few months. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims to fall to 365,000. Initial claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 372,000 from an original reading of 369,000, based on more complete data collected at the state level, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

More here

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Cagle

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Toledo Blade: In the final few days of the presidential contest, Mitt Romney evidently recognizes that his opposition to the federal rescue of General Motors and Chrysler is costing him voter support he needs in Ohio and Michigan. So the Republican nominee is conducting an exercise in deception about auto-industry issues that is remarkable even by the standards of his campaign.

…. Mr. Romney’s own words make clear he is no friend of the auto industry, on which Ohio relies for one of every eight jobs. Voters in Ohio and Michigan — and the nation — need to remember that.

Full editorial here

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Cagle

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NYT Editorial: When General Motors tells a presidential campaign that it is engaging in “cynical campaign politics at its worst,” that’s a pretty good signal that the campaign has crossed a red line and ought to pull back. Not Mitt Romney’s campaign. Having broadcast an outrageously deceitful ad attacking the auto bailout, the campaign ignored the howls from carmakers and came back with more.

Mr. Romney apparently plans to end his race as he began it: playing lowest-common-denominator politics, saying anything necessary to achieve power and blithely deceiving voters desperate for clarity and truth.

….. Mr. Romney is providing a grim preview of what kind of president he would be.

Full editorial here

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Cagle

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Greg Sargent: The chatter continues this morning about GOP Governor Chris Christie’s astonishingly effusive praise of Obama’s handling of Hurricane Sandy. After they toured the damage yesterday, Christie thanked Obama for their “great working relationship” and claimed Obama “sprung into action immediately.” The day before, Christie praised Obama’s storm response as “outstanding,” adding: “He deserves my praise, and he will get it regardless of what the calendar says.”

What’s striking about this is how directly it undermines one of the central arguments Mitt Romney is making against Obama, with only five days left until Election Day … Romney has been closing out the campaign with a series of ads claiming that he will work with Democrats to get things done in Washington and arguing that Obama utterly failed to persuade Republicans to work with him….

Now Americans are being treated to images of a Republican Governor extensively praising Obama for working with him cooperatively and displaying leadership and a propensity for quick action at a time of crisis.

More here

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President Obama and Gov Christie talk with local residents at the Brigantine Beach Community Center in Brigantine, N.J., Oct. 31

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Okay, this one’s a bit unfortunate…..

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Morning everyone

Aug

mixed news

By Chipsticks 73 Comments

Categories: Articles
Tags: Barack, claims, deficit, down, economy, good, jobs, news, Obama, President, trade

Bloomberg: Claims for unemployment insurance payments in the U.S. unexpectedly fell last week to a four-month low, signaling the recent slowdown in payroll gains was caused by a lack of hiring rather than more firings.

First-time applications for jobless benefits decreased 7,000 in the week ended Aug. 6 to 395,000, the fewest since early April … Economists forecast 405,000 claims … The number of people on unemployment benefit rolls and those getting extended payments also dropped.

… The four-week moving average, a less-volatile measure of initial claims, dropped to 405,000, also the lowest since April, from 408,250.

… The number of people continuing to collect jobless benefits dropped by 60,000 in the week ended July 30 to 3.69 million. The decrease was the biggest since February….

…. The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits, which tends to track the jobless rate, fell to 2.9 percent in the week ended July 30, today’s report showed. Forty-four states and territories reported a decrease in claims, while nine had an increase.

Initial jobless claims reflect weekly firings and tend to fall as job growth – measured by the monthly non-farm payrolls report – accelerates…..

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But ….

The trade deficit widened 4.4 percent to $53.1 billion from $50.8 billion in May, a report from the Commerce Department showed today. The deficit exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg News survey of economists in which the median was $48 billion. Exports declined the most since January 2009.

Full article here

Jul

jobless claims in u.s. fall to 3-month low

By Chipsticks 24 Comments

Categories: Articles
Tags: Barack, claims, drop, good, jobs, news, Obama, President, unemployment

Bloomberg: Applications for unemployment benefits fell more than forecast last week to the lowest level since April, a sign the weakness in the labor market is fading.

Jobless claims dropped by 24,000 to 398,000 in the week ended July 23, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg News survey called for a drop to 415,000. Another report showed the number of contracts to buy previously owned homes unexpectedly rose in June.

“The figures are encouraging, though we need to see a sustained decline in claims,” said James O’Sullivan, global chief economist at MF Global Inc. in New York. “The direction in claims invariably sends the right signal for growth in employment.”

More here

Jul

better….

By Chipsticks 41 Comments

Categories: Articles
Tags: Barack, benefits, claims, economy, for, good, jobs, news, Obama, President, unemployment

Bloomberg: The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level since April, a sign weakness in the labor market may be starting to abate.

Applications for jobless benefits decreased 22,000 in the week ended July 9 to 405,000, Labor Department figures showed today. Economists forecast 415,000 claims … The data included fewer layoffs in the auto industry than typical this time of the year….

A sustained reduction in firings is a first step toward a pickup in hiring after employers in June added the fewest workers in nine months and the jobless rate rose. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday that “disappointing” job growth in the last two months was due to temporary effects, such as high fuel costs and delayed parts shipments from Japan after the March earthquake and tsunami.

“The claims numbers suggests a positive development,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities. “Part of what’s going on is that in the auto sector a number of factories took their normal seasonal downturn early since a lot of them weren’t able to get parts back in May. They took their hiatus early.”

More here

May

progress

By Chipsticks 9 Comments

Categories: All Photos and Articles
Tags: Barack, claims, down, economy, good, news, Obama, optimism, President, recovery, unemployment

Marketwatch: Applications for unemployment compensation fell sharply last week, partly reversing a large spike earlier in April and suggesting some improvement in U.S. hiring trends.

The number of people who filed initial requests for jobless benefits fell by 44,000 to a seasonally adjusted 434,000 in the week ended May 7, the Labor Department said Thursday

Mar

slowly, surely

By Chipsticks 7 Comments

Categories: All Photos and Articles
Tags: Barack, claims, down, economy, figures, jobs, Obama, President, recovery, unemployment

Bloomberg: Fewer Americans filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance payments for a third week in the last four, indicating progress in the labor market.

Applications for jobless benefits decreased 16,000 in the period ended March 12 to 385,000 …. the four-week average of claims dropped to the lowest level since July 2008

Fewer firings along with increased hiring and a lower unemployment rate may help lift household spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy. Federal Reserve policy makers this week said the expansion is getting stronger and the labor market is “improving gradually.”

“As demand has picked up, and the labor component of the economy has been relatively tight, businesses are now seeking to add more to their employment ranks,” said Russell Price, a senior economist at Ameriprise Financial Inc

More here

Mar

‘the lowest level in nearly three years’

By Chipsticks 4 Comments

Categories: All Photos and Articles
Tags: Barack, claims, confidence, down, economy, employment, in, jobless, jobs, level, lowest, Market, Obama, President, recovery, three, unemployment, years

Graphic from Time

Marketwatch: New applications for U.S. jobless benefits fell by 20,000 to 368,000 in the week of Feb. 26, the lowest level in nearly three years, the Labor Department reported Thursday.The last time claims were that low was in May 2008.

Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected first-time jobless claims to rise to a seasonally adjusted 398,000 from last week’s revised level of 388,000.

….The four-week average is considered a more accurate gauge of employment trends because it lessens week-to-week volatility in the data. The decline in claims, which have fallen 27% since last August, appears to be consistent with a modest pace or hiring and fewer layoffs.

Continuing claims, meanwhile, declined by 59,000 to 3.77 million in the week of Feb. 19. About 9.24 million people received some kind of state or federal benefit in the week of Feb. 12, up 74,000 from the week before.

Chart from here

Washington Post: Stocks jumped Thursday after a government report showed that the number of people filing for unemployment benefits dropped unexpectedly last week. Retailers also reported solid February sales.

The Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell to 368,000. That’s the lowest level for claims since May 2008. Economists had expected them to rise.