Jobless Claims Set Another Record

Economy shedding jobs at fastest rate in 50 years

(NEWSER) - The February job numbers released today bring the country close to the employment nadir it reached in 1982, David Leonhardt writes for the New York Times. The 651,000 lost jobs, along with 161,000 added in revisions to previous months, still bring a depressing milestone: Since the start of 2008, the US has shed jobs at a faster rate than at any other time in the past 50 years. More»

338,000 more people claimed benefits last week

(NEWSER) - Some 58,000 jobless Americans filed their first request for unemployment benefits last week, pushing both the number of first-time filers (573,000) and number of people collecting benefits (4.43 million) to 26-year highs, MarketWatch reports. The post-Thanksgiving week is traditionally high in first-time claims, but rapid layoffs and a deteriorating job market resulted in 60% more filings than last year—twice what analysts had predicted, the Wall Street Journal adds. More»

Uncertainty is the 'new normal' in America

(NEWSER) - For many Americans, "recovery" feels a lot like recession—and it may take a decade for that to change, finds the New York Times . At the current rate of job creation, for instance, it would take nine years to recapture jobs lost thus far. Home prices, meanwhile, are down 20% since 2005; even assuming 2% inflation, it would take 13 years for the market to reach pre-crisis levels. Everywhere, offices sit empty. More»

Two thirds of Americans who have lost jobs experience depression

(AP) - The recession has left many jobless workers struggling to cope with the psychological stress, a new study finds. Researchers at Rutgers University said the financial strain that comes with being out of work, combined with the daunting task of seeking new employment in a difficult job market, has left many Americans "traumatized." "Psychologically, it's a world of hurt out there for the jobless," the lead researcher told the AP. More»

(NEWSER) - If you’re the glass-half-full type, recent economic indicators look good: Unemployment fell last month, the savings rate is up, and productivity hit a 6-year high. But that same data proves that ordinary people aren’t likely to feel the good vibrations anytime soon, the Washington Post reports. “It's going to be a recovery only a statistician can love,” said a Wells Fargo economist. More»