Employment News Nov 29 - Dec 3

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News
FRIDAY
High jobless rate streak could break '80s record
Not since the early 1980s has the nation's unemployment rate been so grim for so long, a government report due Friday is likely to show.
How jobs growth forecast was done
Economic consulting firm Moody's Economy.com has forecasted U.S. job growth by geographic region and by industry. This interactive was updated Dec. 1, 2010.
November jobs report: Unemployment rate up
The government's monthly labor report threw a curve ball Friday morning as November's job growth came in far lower than expected and the unemployment rate rose to 9.8%.
Republicans Blame Democrats for Rise in Jobless Rate
Democrats and Republicans continued sparring over economic policies Friday as new numbers showed unemployment rising from 9.6 percent to 9.8 percent in November, the highest rate since April.

THURSDAY
Pay will go up for many, despite Obama's proposed freeze
The federal pay freezre proposed by President Obama on Monday will not be absolute.
Fewer Americans Filed Jobless Insurance Claims in Past Month
Fewer Americans filed claims for unemployment insurance payments over the past month, showing the job market is beginning to improve.
White House to Issue Report Showing Harm From Jobless Benefits Expiration
The White House plans to release a detailed report showing how the cut-off in jobless benefits will hurt families and the economy, as the administration tries to pressure Republicans to extend long-term aid which started to dry up Wednesday.
Initial unemployment claims tick back up
The number of initial claims rose to 436,000 last week, up 26,000 from a revised 410,000 claims filed the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday.
Congress lets unemployment benefits expire: 'What now' and six other questions
Congress on Tuesday failed to renew an extension of unemployment benefits that it passed at the end of July. Democrats have argued that with unemployment at 9.6 percent, many people still need help. Republicans say they would like to help the jobless, but want the $5 billion per month cost to be funded by a spending cut somewhere in the federal budget.
Smaller Firms Still Hesitant to Hire
Job Growth Remains Modest as Businesses Hold Out for Clearer Economic Picture

WEDNESDAY
Millions may lose jobless benefits as holidays loom
Extended unemployment benefits for nearly 2 million Americans begin to run out Wednesday, cutting off a steady stream of income and guaranteeing a dismal holiday season for people already struggling with bills they cannot pay.
Delta Air Lines is Hiring 1,000 New Flight Attendants; More Than 100,000 Applied
Delta Air Lines is having what might possibly be the most-popular job search in a long time: More than 100,000 people have applied for just 1,000 openings as flight attendants.
Private-sector job growth biggest in 3 years
Payrolls among private employers rose by 93,000 in November, the 10th consecutive month of increases, payroll processor ADP said in its report.

TUESDAY
Last unemployment check is in the mail
Although the deadline to file for extended unemployment insurance is officially Nov. 30, many jobless have already filed their last claim for benefits.
Jobless aid loss could choke economic growth
Unemployment benefits boost growth because jobless spend every penny

Economists Comments
FRIDAY
Government By Executive Order
A new Labor Department plan shows the president still has wide power to implement an anti-business agenda.

TUESDAY
Can business leaders create clean jobs?
Everyone is talking about creating more green jobs, but few people seem to know how to actually do it. That got Chad Holliday, the former CEO of DuPont and current chairman of Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), thinking about solutions.
Don't Freeze Federal Pay. Cut It.
Improving Obama's wishy-washy plan to hurt some workers without helping others.

Blogs
FRIDAY
Jobless claims near 9 million, including 5 million on 'extended' benefits
Jobless claims are at 8.77 million, including 26,000 new claimants and 4.9 million receiving federal 'extended' unemployment benefits.
Where are the jobs?
Employment in America turned in a surprisingly poor performance in November, indicating that recovery still hasn't gotten the job creation machine turning steadily.
How’s that Stimulus Working, Mr. President?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this morning that the unemployment rate jumped to 9.8 percent last month. As you can see from the chart, the White House claimed that if we enacted the so-called stimulus, the unemployment rate today would be about 7 percent today.
Employment Summary and Part Time Workers, Unemployed over 26 Weeks
Here are a few more graphs based on the weak employment report ...
Who Knew the Economy Was So Dependent on Unemployment?
It is important to keep in mind that while we wish to help people in need, unemployment benefits may not be the best way to do it. That’s because there are unintended consequences to subsidizing unemployment. For instance, numerous studies, including some by Larry Summers, have found that increasing the length of duration of potential unemployment benefits increases the average length of unemployment.
Why Didn’t Retailers Hire?
There was widespread weakness in the November jobs report with state and local government, factories and construction firms cutting positions, but the biggest surprise came from a decline in retail jobs.

THURSDAY
Public Sector Wages: Freezing, Hiking, Measuring
The Obama Administration is receiving a range of reviews for its decision to freeze federal employee pay for the next two years. Is it a mark of good fiscal management, or a symbolic gesture. As expected, public unions don’t like it. Though few are praising Iowa’s departing Governor’s decision to do the exact opposite and approve a six percent wage increase for state workers.
Private sector jobs grow, but recovery still anemic
ADP report says private employers added 93,000 jobs in November.
Is There Room for Compromise on Unemployment Insurance?
Last night the Senate allowed unemployment insurance benefits to lapse for those Americans who have been receiving such benefits for 99 weeks or more. What will happen to the unemployment rate? Let’s look at it in the short-run and in the long-run.

MONDAY
A Breaking Trend in U.S. Layoffs?
To confirm that a clear break from the trend established since 21 November 2009 has occurred, we will to see the number of seasonally-adjusted initial unemployment insurance claim filings drop below 401,000 for the week of 27 November 2010 and to sustain that lower level in the weeks ahead.
With Unemployment Benefits, It’s the Invisible That Truly Matters
With a vote on unemployment-benefit renewal set to come before Congress yet again, a great deal of discussion about its impact is to be expected. If so, it should be hoped that this time around the less visible effects of jobless benefits can be considered.

Reports