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☆ U.S. Hiring Settles Into a Lower Gear
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Lydia Depillis | More About Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Much of the slowdown has come from industries that are returning to more typical levels after the pandemic’s upheaval. Exhibit A: truck transportation, which grew to serve a stay-at-home online shopping spree and shrank as it died down. Trucking company payrolls flattened out over the past year, which probably masks an outright decline because many contracted owner-operators have also parked their rigs. “With Yellow taking 20-plus-thousand drivers out of the market, it’s a start in getting supply under control.”It’s not just the trucking industry, however. Lately, though, he’s seen more qualified job applicants who need work because their starting dates at law firms have been deferred.

Persons: ”, Kenny Vieth, ” It’s, Kevin Vaughan, It’s, he’s Organizations: Trucking, ACT Research Locations: Chicago

☆ It's become harder for middle-class workers to give their kids a better life. Unions could help turn that around, a new Treasury report finds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The report found that union workers make more than their nonunion peers and have more benefits. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The decline in intergenerational mobility may be the single trend that best encapsulates the pervasive sense of the deterioration in the middle class," the Treasury report found. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Treasury report found that union workers make 10% to 15% more than nonunionized colleagues. That's one economic factor that could give union workers — who are more likely to be considered middle class — a boost. "For generations, union workers have fought for and won higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions for millions of American workers," Vice President Kamala Harris said.

Persons: Biden, Treasury Department —, Janet Yellen, Yellen, —, Kamala Harris Organizations: Treasury, Service, Treasury Department, Pew Research Center, Labor Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Morning Bid: Jitters mount as Powell retakes centre stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Any hints about the Fed's rate outlook are sure to reverberate across asset classes. Stock markets around the globe slid as nerves grew, with Wall Street taking a tumble overnight and Japan's Nikkei (.N225) dropping 2% in the Asian morning. Stoxx 50 futures didn't offer much hope for the coming day after Europe's benchmark (.STOXX) drooped on Thursday. The pristine U.S. resiliency story took a hit earlier this week after surveys showing dismal business activity shook confidence. Reuters GraphicsFed officials squeezed in some final public comments before the boss's speech: Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker leaned towards holding policy steady for the rest of the year, while Boston Fed President Susan Collins kept the door open for additional hikes.

Persons: Brigid Riley, Jerome Powell, Jackson, drooped, Patrick Harker, Susan Collins, Christine Lagarde, Kevin Buckland, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, REUTERS, Staff, Japan's Nikkei, Thursday, Fed, Reuters Graphics, Philadelphia Fed, Boston Fed, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Silicon, Germany, U.S, Sweden

☆ How China Made Its Housing Crisis Worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Keith Bradsher | More About Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In China the pension akin to Social Security in the United States pays about $410 a month to seniors who live in cities, and only $25 a month in the countryside. China’s consumer safety net is full of holes, even when accounting for lower costs of living compared to the United States. Beijing policymakers, who have a longstanding aversion to financial protections for households, have begun trimming social spending this year. That could further harm the country’s already sputtering levels of consumer spending, in turn dragging property prices even lower. The World Bank and a Chinese government planning agency boldly made the point in 2012 with a report, titled “China 2030,” that called for China to support consumers better and embrace a “turning point in its development path.”

Organizations: Social Security, World Bank Locations: China, United States, U.S, Beijing

☆ Fresh Look at Data Shaves Just a Hair Off U.S. Job Growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Ben Casselman | More About Ben Casselman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The red-hot American job market might be just a couple of degrees cooler than previously believed. There were 306,000 fewer nonagricultural jobs in the United States in March than initially reported, according to revised data released by the Labor Department on Wednesday. That suggests employers added jobs at a slightly slower rate in 2022 and early 2023 than more timely — but less accurate — monthly data suggested. The recent strength of the job market has surprised economists, who expected the rapid increase in interest rates to lead to a more significant slowdown in hiring. Some forecasters thought that the monthly jobs figures were overstating hiring, and that the annual update would show a substantial downward revision.

Organizations: Labor Department Locations: United States

☆ Striking Workers in California Could Get Unemployment Pay Under New Bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Jill Cowan | More About Jill Cowan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a state where screenwriters, housekeepers and school janitors have already gone on strike this year, Democratic lawmakers in California have introduced a bill late in the legislative session that would allow such workers to receive unemployment benefits while on the picket line. Supporters of the bill, including the powerful California Labor Federation, say they hope to seize on the momentum created by a wave of high-profile walkouts that have taken place in the state this year. The proposal, introduced by influential Democrats this week, would allow employees engaged in labor disputes to apply for unemployment insurance pay after two weeks off the job. Right now, workers who choose to strike are not eligible for unemployment benefits and must rely on savings or strike funds set up by unions to pay their bills. The proposal could give workers in California greater incentive to go on strike over pay and conditions, as well as greater financial ability to extend a walkout, though it would not take effect until January.

Persons: housekeepers, janitors Organizations: Democratic, California Labor Federation, Business Locations: California, Southern California

☆ Over 3,100 Charged With Pandemic Relief Fraud, Justice Department Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The sweep resulted in criminal charges against 371 defendants, with 119 convicted or pleading guilty. The Justice Department claimed 63 defendants had connections to violent crime and 25 had purported connections to transnational crime networks. The Justice Department listed a range of fraud schemes, including defendants who allegedly used the money to solicit a murder and individuals who laundered funds by shipping cars to Nigeria. The funds were allegedly used to solicit a murder for hire and to purchase firearms, controlled substances, jewelry, clothing and vacations. Some defendants were also accused of transferring firearms knowing they would be used to commit violent crimes or traffic drugs.

Persons: ”, General Merrick B, Garland, “, Department’s, — Organizations: Justice Department, Department Locations: Nigeria, Milwaukee

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it has seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen, and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country. A total of 119 defendants pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial during the sweep, according to the Justice Department. Last year, the U.S. Justice Department tapped federal prosecutor Kevin Chambers to lead its efforts to investigate alleged fraud schemes targeting pandemic assistance programs. Over $200 billion from the U.S. government's COVID-19 relief programs were potentially stolen, a federal watchdog said in late June, adding that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) had weakened its controls in a rush to disburse the funds. Earlier this year, a separate watchdog report said the U.S. government likely awarded about $5.4 billion in COVID-19 aid to people with questionable Social Security numbers.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Department's, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Kevin Chambers, government's, fraudsters, Kanishka Singh, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Justice, The Justice Department, U.S, Justice Department, U.S . Justice Department, U.S . Small Business Administration, U.S . Labor Department, Social, Thomson Locations: COVID, United States, U.S, Washington

☆ These 2 states offer unemployment benefits to workers on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, speaks during a Vigil and Thirst Strike for Workers' Rights on the House steps of the U.S. Capitol on July 25, 2023. Workers who go on strike generally don't qualify for unemployment benefits. But two states — New York and New Jersey — are the exception to that rule, and other states could soon join them. Critics of the aid say it puts employers at a disadvantage during negotiations and encourages workers to go on strike. Here's what to know about access to unemployment benefits for striking workers.

Persons: Greg Casar, —, Michele Evermore Organizations: Workers, Rights, U.S, Capitol, Cornell ILR School Labor, Finance, Bank of America, The Century Foundation Locations: Texas, — New York, New Jersey, U.S

☆ What to expect from the jobs report: Steady, but cooler growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But markets and economists are expecting another solid jobs report Friday morning. And while economic data isn’t typically the sexiest of topics, the government’s jobs report has in recent months delivered plenty of excitement and its fair share of surprises. Last July, for example, the US economy added 568,000 jobs — more than double the 250,000 that economists had expected. Come Friday, the government’s jobs report for this July might not end up being quite so shocking. In fact, it could be relatively humdrum: A slight cooling in job growth, and unemployment holding steady.

Persons: Minneapolis CNN — Fitch, ”, Daniel Zhao, Refinitiv, Chris Rupkey, That’s, Michael Gapen, Janet Yellen, Glassdoor’s Zhao, ” Zhao, there’s, ” Andy Challenger, Challenger, ” Gus Faucher, they’re, Becky Frankiewicz, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Glassdoor, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, Business, Conference Board, Fitch, Challenger, “ Companies, Labor Department, “, PNC Financial Services Group, CNN, Labor Statistics, BLS, “ Employers, ManpowerGroup Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ What to expect from the July jobs report: Steady, but cooler growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Minneapolis CNN —Despite Tuesday’s credit rating downgrade amid concerns about the challenges facing the United States, markets and economists are expecting another solid jobs report on Friday. And while economic data isn’t typically the sexiest of topics, the monthly jobs report has in recent months delivered plenty of excitement and its fair share of surprises. Come Friday, the government’s jobs report for this July might not end up being quite so shocking. In fact, it could be relatively humdrum: A slight cooling in job growth, and unemployment holding steady. The broader economic scorecard for the United States makes the downgrade all the more “bizarre” and puzzling, noted top economists, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Persons: ”, Daniel Zhao, Refinitiv, Chris Rupkey, That’s, Michael Gapen, Janet Yellen, Glassdoor’s Zhao, ” Zhao, there’s, ” Andy Challenger, Challenger, Gus Faucher, they’re, Becky Frankiewicz, “ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Glassdoor, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, Fitch, Challenger, “ Companies, PNC Financial Services Group, CNN, Labor Statistics, BLS, “ Employers, ManpowerGroup Locations: Minneapolis, United States

☆ The rise of gig workers is changing the face of the US economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The number of gig workers is growing and making an impact throughout the economy. But workplace experts say the number of gig workers is growing, and and their impact is being felt throughout the economy. “People who have access to the gig economy borrow less money than people who don’t. Working in the gig economy can help people spend more time searching for their next job, if they've been laid off. “We could do so much better.”Recently, local governments have attempted to bolster platform gig workers’ protections.

Persons: Los Angeles CNN — Lazarus, ”, that’s, Eric Baradat, Louis Hyman, Uber, DoorDash, Jenn Rosenberg, Hyman, “, Erica Groshen, they've, Spencer Platt, Doordash, Susan Houseman, Groshen, we’ve, ” Groshen, they’re Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Uber, CNN, DoorDash, Getty, of Labor Statistics, Cornell University, “ Society, University of Chicago, IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, BLS, . Upjohn Institute, Employment Research, North, New York City, Federal Reserve, Federal, System Locations: Hill , North Carolina, “, United States, AFP, DoorDash, Kalamazoo , Michigan, North America, New York, California

☆ Barbie, Nike Air, Cheetos, Mario: Why Movies Are All About Brands Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jared Holst | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But the release of half a dozen movies about brands — Barbie, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Tetris, Nike Air, BlackBerry, and Beanie Babies — in six months isn't just the result of Hollywood groupthink and coincidence. But just as these brand-centric movies ring hollow, so does the gig economy they're catering to. While the plot isn't about the making of Barbie, Barbie and Ken do step outside Barbie Land to peek behind the curtains of their creation.) As more companies look to gig workers to replace full-time jobs, more workers take up gig work. As the economy continues to emphasize the importance of self-branding through gig work, brand movies will continue to resonate.

Persons: Ryan, — Barbie, Flamin, isn't, Barbie, doggedly, Zach Galifianakis, Ty Warner, Ken, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ben Affleck, —, it's, hadn't, they'd, it'd, Jared Holst, Jared Organizations: Nike Air, BlackBerry, Hollywood, Hulu, Mattel, Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, Economic, Institute, Brands Locations: American, New York, Brooklyn

☆ Opinion | Don’t Let Inflation Bury the Memory of a Government Triumph
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Bryce Covert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic was the shortest on record, thanks to rapid, robust and bipartisan congressional action. Americans were made whole by their government, which staved off what otherwise would have been mass financial suffering. But by the time Dr. Shaefer testified, inflation had begun to rise, sucking all the air out of the room. Inflation hawks blamed the pandemic response for driving up consumer demand, which, in their telling, drove up prices, causing pain for many people as the cost of food, rent and other necessities rose. The fracas over inflation risks memory-holing the concrete proof that the federal government is fully capable of keeping Americans afloat when the economy sinks.

Persons: ” H, Luke Shaefer, Shaefer, J.W, Mason, we’ll Organizations: University of Michigan, John Jay College of Criminal

☆ A California state senator is calling for a labor investigation into $12B HR startup Deel over 'brazen employment misclassification' after Insider's reporting
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

$12 billion HR startup Deel is facing calls for a California Secretary of Labor investigation. Multiple California state senators criticized Deel for misclassifying workers, citing reporting from Insider. The company is heavily reliant on independent contractors, Insider previously reported. A California senator is calling for the state's Secretary of Labor to investigate Deel, a buzzy San Francisco-based HR startup valued $12 billion, over "brazen employment misclassification." 17 current or former Deel workers had told Insider in March that they had concerns the company may be misclassifying contract workers' employment status.

Persons: Deel, Stewart Knox, Stephen Padilla, Andreessen Horowitz, Emerson, Alex Bouaziz, Padilla, Dave Cortese, María Elena Durazo, We've, Thomas Lenz Organizations: Labor, Morning, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, Contractors, Senate Labor, Public, Global Employment, University of Southern California Gould School of Law Locations: California, San Francisco, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Greece, Brazil, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Nigeria

☆ Wall Street Recession: Stock Market Crash Predictions Are Wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Neil Dutta | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Wall Street analysts and economists have always had a tendency to fall in love with their forecasts. This stubbornness helps explain why Wall Street is having an exceptionally hard time letting go of the idea that a recession is just around the corner. Despite the year-plus in which analysts have been arguing that a recession is imminent, none of the arguments behind the predictions stand up to scrutiny. Bear growlsOver the past year, Wall Street pessimists' reasons for an approaching recession have shifted. The drag from the US housing market is fading.

Persons: doomsayers, it's, Neil Dutta Organizations: Street, Federal Reserve, Fed, Macro

The yield curve's inversions deepened in June after Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank would likely raise rates two more times this year. Stronger-than-expected economic data on Thursday backed expectations that the Fed will keep interest rates higher for longer. Treasury yields- which move inversely to prices - moved up, with 10-year and two-year yields hitting their highest since March 10 and 9, respectively, while some curve inversions intensified. The spread between one- and 30-year Treasury yields was as wide as 153 basis points on Wednesday, its biggest gap since 1981. Key areas of the U.S. economy, including housing and labor, have proven resilient despite higher rates.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Janet Rilling, Huw Roberts, Davide Barbuscia, Chuck Mikolajczak, Ira Iosebashvili, Sam Holmes, Aurora Ellis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: YORK, U.S, Treasury, Federal, Allspring Global Investments, Quant, Thomson Locations: U.S

WASHINGTON, June 27 (Reuters) - Over $200 billion from the U.S. government's COVID-19 relief programs were likely stolen, a federal watchdog said on Tuesday, adding that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) had weakened its controls in a rush to disburse the funds. The SBA disputed the more than $200 billion figure put forward by the watchdog and said the inspector general's approach had significantly overestimated fraud. The agency said its experts put the likely fraud estimate at $36 billion and added that over 86% of that likely fraud took place in 2020, when the administration for former President Donald Trump was in office. The fraud estimate put forward by the inspector general for the EIDL program stood at more than $136 billion while the PPP fraud estimate was $64 billion. Earlier this year, a separate watchdog report said the U.S. government likely awarded about $5.4 billion in COVID-19 aid to people with questionable Social Security numbers.

Persons: government's, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, General Merrick Garland, Kevin Chambers, fraudsters, Kanishka Singh, Aurora Ellis Organizations: U.S . Small Business Administration, SBA, Force, U.S . Justice Department, U.S . Labor Department, Social, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, COVID, Washington

☆ Companies are worried about a recession, but they’re hanging on to employees anyway
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Minneapolis CNN —US companies wary about their economic prospects are battening down the hatches. Recent job market data shows more and more businesses have taken to “labor hoarding” and maintaining headcounts even as demand softens. Employees work at CannaCraft's March and Ash retail cannabis store in San Diego's Mission Valley neighborhood. Grey Duck’s sales picture will become clearer in the next three months, Bossen said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to keep that staff employed and productive, even if things slow down,” he said.

Persons: ”, Dana Peterson, ” Peterson, it’s, Ash, Tiffany Devitt, CannaCraft, Ash CannaCraft, “, Devitt, Stephen Juneau, they’re, Matt Bigelow, Gusset Jean, Bigelow, ‘ Waddle, Rob Bossen, Grey, Eli Nord, Bossen, “ We’re, waddle Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Conference Board, Conference, Business, CNN, Golden State, of Labor Statistics, Bank of America, Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, USA Brands, Gusset Jean Co, Vermont, Company Locations: Minneapolis, ”, headcount, California, Golden, Diego's, CannaCraft, Sonoma County, Juneau, Vermont, Johnson , Vermont, Roseville , Minnesota, China, Roseville

☆ Opinion | The Book I Wish Every Policymaker Would Read
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New York Times Audio app includes podcasts, narrated articles from the newsroom and other publishers, and exclusive new shows — including this one — which we’re making available to readers for a limited time. Download the audio app here. My pitch for this episode is simple: Jennifer Pahlka has written one of the best policy books I’ve ever read. Over the course of her career, Pahlka has become obsessed with an area of policy that is too often ignored by policymakers: implementation. [You can listen to this episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google or wherever you get your podcasts.]

Persons: Jennifer Pahlka, Pahlka, Obama, HealthCare.gov, Gavin Newsom, “, Ezra Klein Organizations: New York Times, House, America, Gov, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google

☆ Stock Market Chaotic New Normal Will Screw Over Wall Street Investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Wall Street desperately wants the stock market to go back to the good ol' days. In that environment, any idiot — or anyone on Wall Street — could buy almost any asset, sit back, and watch its value increase. In this scenario, the stock market gets choppy. It was a pull-in-case-of-emergency valve that we pulled for so long that now it feels normal to Wall Street. Despite this constant caterwauling from Wall Street, Americans are working, spending, and helping the economy defy doom-and-gloom forecasts.

Persons: Justin Simon, Jasper Capital, that's, hasn't, it'll, Richard Hayne, —, haven't, Joe Weisenthal, Richard Haynes, Torsten Slok, Simon, Linette Lopez Organizations: Street, San Francisco Fed, Fed, Urban Outfitters, Auto, Walmart, Bloomberg, Urban, NASDAQ, Federal, Apollo Global Management Locations: Jasper, Wall Street, American

☆ This is the calamity Washington is trying to avoid with a debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —At long last, the White House and House Republicans have reached a tentative agreement to raise the debt ceiling. Every day that passes without a bill to raise the debt ceiling, the probability of the United States reaching the critical date that it can no longer meet its financial obligations steadily grows. Absent a bill passed by Congress and signed by Biden, Treasury will likely do everything in its power to avoid a debt default. In contrast to debt payments, government payments like Social Security or federal worker salaries aren’t considered debt instruments, so they are less likely to come into play when the agencies rate the United States’ debt. Though prioritizing debt payments might stave off an even-greater economic collapse, the United States may not emerge unscathed.

☆ Premarket: Turkey's big economic gamble looks set to continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In an exclusive interview with CNN on Thursday, Erdogan promised to continue cutting interest rates to tackle soaring prices if he is re-elected on May 28, my colleague Olesya Dmitracova reports. “Please do follow me in the aftermath of the elections, and you will see that inflation will be going down along with interest rates,” Erdogan told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “I have a thesis that interest rates and inflation, they are directly correlated. As price hikes started to accelerate around the world in late 2021, Erdogan ordered Turkey’s central bank to slash interest rates. The weekly claims attributed to Massachusetts fell by 14,042 on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, representing three-quarters of the decline of 18,605 claims.

☆ US weekly jobless claims fall; labor market still tight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Weekly jobless claims drop 22,000 to 242,000Continuing claims decrease 8,000 to 1.799 millionWASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobs benefits fell more than expected last week, with applications in Massachusetts decreasing sharply, suggesting the labor market remains tight. The steep decline in weekly unemployment claims reported by the Labor Department on Thursday reversed the surge in the prior week, which had boosted them to the highest level since Oct. 30, 2021. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 242,000 for the week ended May 13. The labor market is being closely watched for signs of stress from the Federal Reserve's fastest interest rate hiking campaign since the 1980s. Though it has shown some signs of cooling, the labor market has remained tight, with 1.6 job openings for every unemployed person in March, well above the 1.0-1.2 range that is consistent with a jobs market that is not generating too much inflation.

☆ Initial jobless claims increase for fourth consecutive week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Minneapolis CNN —The number of first-time claims for weekly jobless benefits fell last week to 242,000, down 22,000 from 264,000 the week before, according to data published Thursday by the Department of Labor. Continuing claims, which are filed by people who have received jobless benefits for more than one week, dipped to 1.799 million for the week ended May 6 from a revised 1.807 million the week prior. The outsized influence of Massachusetts’ claims was an anomaly, BofA economists wrote, noting that the state’s total employment accounts for under 3% of overall US employment, and its initial jobless claims are typically under 3% of all weekly US claims. When excluding and recalculating filings in Massachusetts, initial claims have instead moved “sideways,” pointing to limited layoffs, economists Stephen Juneau and Michael Gapen wrote. Weekly jobless claims remain below historical averages: In the decade before the pandemic, weekly claims averaged 311,000.

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