We know how the Biden Admin has lied every time these numbers are released. There is ALWAYS a correction that makes Biden and his job as POTUS look feeble. But at least until now he has had media intervene and hide the corrections made days later. Will it be the same now, knowing what we all now know about Biden and his diminishing chances in November up against the true President of the United States – Trump.
The U.S. Labor Department released its latest figures on Wednesday, showing a slight increase in unemployment claims for the week ending June 29. Claims rose by 4,000 to 238,000 from the previous week’s 234,000. This early release comes ahead of the July Fourth holiday, departing from the usual Thursday announcement.
US filings for jobless claims inch up modestly, but continuing claims rise for ninth straight week – Yahoo Finance https://t.co/aO7R7ehsEi
— The Wire (@thewire_____) July 3, 2024
Despite the historically low levels of new unemployment claims, there is a noticeable uptick in the total number of people receiving jobless benefits, which has been increasing for nine consecutive weeks. As of June 22, the count reached 1.86 million, marking the highest since November 2021.
Economists are monitoring these trends closely as they suggest a potential shift in the labor market dynamics. While the entry of new jobless claims remains relatively low, indicating limited layoffs, the increasing difficulty for those on unemployment to find new jobs hints at a cooling demand for labor. This situation aligns with the Federal Reserve’s strategy aimed at achieving a “soft landing” for the economy, which began with a series of interest rate hikes starting in March 2022 to combat high inflation levels.
US filings for jobless claims inch up modestly, but continuing claims rise for ninth straight week pic.twitter.com/T75b1oPpzq
— Stopwar (@askrftr) July 3, 2024
The Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark rate 11 times since then, attempting to moderate a once overheated labor market and control wage-driven inflation. Although these aggressive monetary policies raised concerns about a potential recession, such a downturn has yet to materialize, largely due to robust consumer demand and a resilient job market.
Upcoming Federal Reserve meetings and the forthcoming release of their meeting minutes are highly anticipated, with markets speculating on the future direction of interest rates. Current betting odds suggest a 70% likelihood of a rate cut by the Fed’s September meeting.
Additional labor market indicators also show signs of change. The four-week average of unemployment claims, a measure that smooths out weekly volatility, has also seen an increase, rising by 2,250 to 238,500. Moreover, while the unemployment rate slightly increased to 4% in May, job additions remained strong, with 272,000 new jobs created during the month. Job postings also showed mixed signals, with a slight increase in May but a notable revision downward for April, suggesting a softening in job availability.
US Filings for Jobless Claims Edge Up Modestly https://t.co/EPkp7ctsYK
— NEWSnet (@YourNewsNet) July 3, 2024
The labor market’s current state and these emerging trends are critical as they will influence upcoming decisions by the Federal Reserve and impact overall economic strategies. The next comprehensive update on the job market will be this Friday’s June jobs report, which is projected to show a decrease in new jobs added compared to May.
Key Points:
i. U.S. unemployment claims increased slightly in the last week of June, with the total number of people receiving benefits rising for nine consecutive weeks.
ii. Despite low new claims, the increasing duration of benefit collection suggests a tightening job market.
iii. The Federal Reserve’s series of rate hikes, intended to combat inflation and cool the labor market, appears to be taking effect without triggering a recession.
iv. Interest rate expectations are being closely watched, with significant anticipation around potential cuts in upcoming Federal Reserve meetings.
v. Labor market indicators such as job postings and unemployment rates provide mixed signals, pointing to some softening in job availability despite overall strong job growth.
Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
