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.”
Nzingha Samuel, social entrepreneur and community developer at E & Z Star Culture, joins Cheddar News to talk about her efforts creating a space for Black Americans in Ghana.
Cindy Blanco, senior learning scientist at language learning platform Duolingo, joins Cheddar News to discuss users now being able to learn Haitian Creole.
In 2021, Americans reported losses from so-called romance scams hit an all-time high of $547 million, or six times the total losses in 2017, according to the FTC.
A fire aboard a huge car transport ship adrift in the mid-Atlantic is dying out. A Portuguese navy officer said Tuesday that the massive vessel is expected to be towed to the Bahamas.
Stocks closed broadly lower Tuesday after Russia sent forces into Ukraine’s eastern region and the U.S., European Union and U.K. responded with economic sanctions.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
Google's Android is phasing out sharing data with third-party apps, much like Apple did with its policy. But what does this mean for advertisers and users alike? Cheddar's Michelle Castillo takes a closer look.