Americans applied for fewer unemployment benefits at the end of 2019, the Labor Department announced Thursday. The number dropped by 2,000 to 222,000 in the seven days up until December 28, although the four-week average ticked up by 4,750 to 233,250.
The report beat expectations that had predicted 225,000 new claims, according to Reuters. The result marks the third consecutive weekly decline.
“I think we’re definitely going to see slightly smaller growth month by month than what we saw in 2019 and that’s consistent with economists expectations’ of the macroeconomy weakening slightly,” in the labor market, Beth Akers, Manhattan Institute senior fellow, told Cheddar.
She will be keeping an eye on manufacturing trends and changes in policy regarding trade for indications about how job numbers will grow (or shrink) in 2020.
“If you’re looking to something to be concerned about, you can look at the four-week moving average, which is up from what it’s been over the course of the year,” Akers said. “But, by and large, these are really strong, positive numbers for the labor market.”
Wall Street saw another day of losses in the market amid continued concerns over the banking sector and as investors digest the latest inflation data. Francis Oh, Asia-Pacific CEO of Qraft Technologies, joined Cheddar News to break down what can be expected with the Federal Reserve's move on interest rates and what to look out for with A.I. stocks, which are seeing big gains.
Adidas has decided to try to sell a portion of its remaining Yeezy shoe inventory and donate the proceeds to chartitable organizations, CEO Bjørn Gulden said Thursday.
Peloton is recalling more than 2 million exercise bikes over a safety concern with its bike seat post, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission said it's received some injury reports.
Peloton is recalling more than 2 million of its exercise bikes because the bike’s seat post assembly can break during use, posing fall and injury hazards.
Cheddar News reporter Ashley Mastronardi tracks the rise of the "mom-fluencer" or working mothers who have left their jobs to become full-time content creators. While not a new phenomenon, experts say the trend has gained momentum since the start of the pandemic.
