Author: Shannon Firth

Roadmap for a Shecovery

By Shannon Firth When Patricia Dyett’s unemployment benefits ended last year, she knew she needed to find work fast. Already behind on her rent, she registered with four different staffing agencies. She phoned, waited, and phoned some more. In December 2011, there were no assignments, but by January, Dyett was […]

Jobless Claims Down Again. Does it Matter?

Initial jobless claims on the whole are declining, making a slight decrease in tomorrow’s report highly probable but also rather negligible. Based on the last few weeks’ reports, a drop of at least 5,000 additional jobless claims is more than likely. The claims report for the week ending March 24, […]

Job Growth Powering Forward? Hold That Thought

Initial unemployment claims rose to 362,000 for the week ending March 3, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week’s claims, demonstrating that the unqualified optimism surrounding the labor market in recent weeks was premature. The 4-week moving average, generally considered more reliable than week-on-week figures, increased by 250 from […]