First-Time Jobless Claims Drop Again
Strong growth in health care, business services and construction are helping to tamp down new claims for unemployment benefits.
The number of first-time filers for unemployment benefits remains at multi-decade lows, the Department of Labor said Thursday. The number of newly unemployed workers for the week ended March 30 came to 258,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 261,000. The 4-week moving average was 254,250. Weekly initial jobless claims are tracking at levels last seen in 1973, according to the Federal Reserve.
The continued dip in unemployment claims jibes with other readings of the Labor market. The most recent monthly payrolls report from the Labor Department revealed that most industries added jobs in February, with strong growth in health care, private education, business services, food services and construction. The mining and manufacturing sectors also strengthened. Retail showed weakness, but that followed a robust January.
The unemployment rate, which is derived from a separate survey, edged down to 4.7%. The number of long-term unemployed folks declined, and the number of those working part-time who wanted to work full-time fell as well.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Kiplinger’s economic outlook expects the job market to continue to tighten this year as demand for skilled workers exceeds their availability. Employment growth in 2017 should slow to an average of 180,000 jobs per month, from 187,000 per month in 2016, but the unemployment rate will edge down further to 4.5%. The four-week average of initial unemployment claims is still near its lowest level since 1973, limiting the additions from this source to the ranks of the unemployed.
Wage gains for nonsupervisory workers stayed at a 2.4% growth rate in January. Nonsupervisory workers comprise four-fifths of the workforce, and their wage gains are more likely to be reflected in prices and consumer spending. Adding in supervisors and executives, hourly earnings picked up to a 2.8% rate.
Dan Burrows is Kiplinger's senior investing writer, having joined the august publication full time in 2016.
A long-time financial journalist, Dan is a veteran of SmartMoney, MarketWatch, CBS MoneyWatch, InvestorPlace and DailyFinance. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Consumer Reports, Senior Executive and Boston magazine, and his stories have appeared in the New York Daily News, the San Jose Mercury News and Investor's Business Daily, among other publications. As a senior writer at AOL's DailyFinance, Dan reported market news from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and hosted a weekly video segment on equities.
Once upon a time – before his days as a financial reporter and assistant financial editor at legendary fashion trade paper Women's Wear Daily – Dan worked for Spy magazine, scribbled away at Time Inc. and contributed to Maxim magazine back when lad mags were a thing. He's also written for Esquire magazine's Dubious Achievements Awards.
In his current role at Kiplinger, Dan writes about equities, fixed income, currencies, commodities, funds, macroeconomics, demographics, real estate, cost of living indexes and more.
Dan holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's degree from Columbia University.
Disclosure: Dan does not trade stocks or other securities. Rather, he dollar-cost averages into cheap funds and index funds and holds them forever in tax-advantaged accounts.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Stabilize After Powell's Rate-Cut Warning
The main indexes temporarily tumbled after Fed Chair Powell said interest rates could stay higher for longer.
By Karee Venema Published
-
How Did O.J. Simpson Avoid Paying the Brown and Goldman Families?
And now that he’s died, will the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman be able to collect on the 1997 civil judgment?
By John M. Goralka Published
-
The Robots Are Coming... But Not For a While
The Kiplinger Letter There’s excitement in the tech sector over the potential of humanoid robots, but widespread adoption is likely to be years away.
By John Miley Published
-
Farmers Face Another Tough Year As Costs Continue to Climb: The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter Farm income is expected to decline for a second year, while costs continue to up-end farm profitability.
By Matthew Housiaux Published
-
H-1B Work Visa Rules Get a Revamp
The Kiplinger Letter H-1B visas allow employers to hire high-skilled foreign workers. Regulators have finalized new rules for this visa program following last fall's proposal.
By Matthew Housiaux Published
-
Woes Continue for Banking Sector: The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter Regional bank stocks were hammered recently after news of New York Community Bank’s big fourth-quarter loss.
By Rodrigo Sermeño Published
-
Are College Athletes Employees of Their Schools?: The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter A recent ruling has ramifications for labor relations and the unionization of student athletes.
By Sean Lengell Published
-
Salton Sea Clean Energy and Lithium Project Gets Approval: The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter California's Salton Sea is due to see the construction of a new lithium extraction and geothermal clean energy power plant.
By Matthew Housiaux Published
-
More Woes for Anheuser-Busch as a Strike Looms: The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter Drinkers of Anheuser-Busch beers may want to stock up soon. A looming strike threatens to shutter its U.S. breweries later this month.
By Sean Lengell Published
-
The Auto Industry Outlook for 2024
The Kiplinger Letter Here's what to expect in the auto industry this year. If you’re in the market for a car it won’t be quite as daunting as it was during the pandemic and after.
By David Payne Published