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.”
The number of businesses that see a 50 percent chance or higher of a recession in 2022 has fallen from around two-thirds of respondents in October to just over half this month, according to survey.
With inflationary woes and fears of recession sweeping the U.S., January has racked up the second most job cuts since the start of the pandemic. While losing a job can be daunting, there are steps employees can take to prepare for an uncertain future in their current positions.
The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
Elon Musk has taken the stand Friday in a shareholder trial in California centering on a 2018 tweet that the billionaire sent about taking Tesla private and the funding secured to do so.
Google parent Alphabet reported quarterly results just shy of Wall Street estimates as the tech giant announced layoffs of about 12,000 workers. Cheddar News breaks down the latest numbers.
