It's The Economy Stupid: Jobless Claims

Economic Event	Period	Economic Survey	Actual Reported	Original Prior	Revised Prior
Initial Jobless Claims	MAR 16	340K	336K	332K	334K
Continuing Claims	MAR 9	3050K	3053K	3024K	3048K

 

On first glance, it's a yawner.  Initial Jobless Claims were 336K, up 2K from the prior periods revised number of 334K.  Continuing Claims were 3053K, up 5K from the prior periods revised number of 3038K.  So, the numbers just taken alone are not that impressive a change.  But there is a larger picture that is showing consistent, if not dramatic, upward changes.

 

For instance, these numbers are a significant improvement from the 2009 to 2012 jobless claims numbers.  The good thing in all these kinds of employment numbers is that the average work week keeps building, to the point where we are back up to the general levels of the hours worked prior to 2008.  That's a good fundamental thing because there comes a point where employers have to stop laying workers off and have to start hiring more workers.

 

ありがとう

Arigatō!