http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/current.htmAugust 5, 2004 UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending July 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 336,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 347,000. The 4-week moving average was 343,500, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average of 336,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending July 24, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.3 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 24 was 2,911,000, a decrease of 35,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,946,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,900,000, an increase of 13,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,887,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 280,886 in the week ending July 31, a decrease of 35,961 from the previous week. There were 333,770 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending July 24, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,823,796, a decrease of 113,271 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,508,332.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/08/05/news/economy/jobless_claims/index.htmJobless claims fall
Government report shows 346,000 filed for first time benefits, less than week earlier and forecasts (Filings have averaged 345,387 this year -The four-week moving average rose to 343,500 from 336,750)
August 5, 2004: 8:32 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The number of people filing for initial jobless claims declined last week, according to a government report Thursday, with fewer filings than analysts expected.
The Labor Department reported that 336,000 filed for first time jobless benefits in the week ended July 31. That's down from the revised reading of 347,000 who filed the previous week. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com forecast 340,000 would be filing for assistance.<snip>
http://money.cnn.com/2004/08/03/news/economy/challenger/index.htmJob cut plans jump in July
Plans by U.S. firms to trim payrolls surge, as hiring plans fall, employment firm says.
August 3, 2004: 1:19 PM EDT
By Mark Gongloff, CNN/Money senior writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The number of job cuts planned by U.S. employers rose in July, while hiring announcements fell for the second straight month, an outplacement firm said Tuesday.
The report came just days before the government's critical gauges of unemployment and job growth in July, but did little to clarify how strong those measures would be.
U.S. businesses announced 69,572 job cuts in July, up from 64,343 job cuts in June, a gain of 8 percent, according to Chicago-based Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which keeps track of monthly job-cut announcements.
July's announcements were 18 percent lower than those of July 2003, when 85,117 cuts were announced<snip>
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/US/two_economies_CSM_040804.htmlThe Two Economies
The Economy Is Growing and Jobs are Being Created But Wages Don't Keep Up
By David R. Francis Aug. 4, 2004 — There may or may not be "two Americas," but when it comes to the economy, there are certainly two widely differing views.<snip>
Democrats say the economy may be growing, but it's creating neither enough jobs to match the growth of the labor force nor enough well-paying ones to keep pace with inflation. And Bush's tax cuts have helped mainly the rich.<snip>
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The Bank of England raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to 4.75 percent, the highest in almost three years, as record consumer borrowing and faster economic growth threaten to boost inflation. UK manufacturing in June fell at its sharpest monthly pace since October 2002, government figures showed today. Factory output, which accounts for 17 percent of the economy, fell 0.7 percent after a 0.5 percent gain in May. Industrial production, which also includes utilities and mines, fell 0.3 percent.