Unemployment
Feds: Minimal impacts from drilling moratorium
A new Obama administration report indicates that the deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico has not increased unemployment in the region. The report, scheduled to be released on September 16 at a Senate hearing, said the moratorium imposed after the BP oil spill might have temporarily cost 8,000 to 12,000 jobs on oil rigs and elsewhere. But—it found no net job loss in the region, thanks in part to a big hiring push for cleanup crews and massive spending by BP on the recovery effort. Full Article.
Anti-poverty safety net programs catching more in recession
Government anti-poverty programs designed to meet the needs of recession victims now serve a record one in six Americans and are continuing to expand. More than 50 million Americans are on Medicaid and more than 40 million people get food stamps. In addition, close to 10 million receive unemployment insurance, nearly four times the number from 2007. Conservatives fear expanded safety-net programs won’t contract after the economy recovers. Full Article.
Jobs: Passion—or a Steady Paycheck?
With unemployment stuck at or near double digits, more people seem to be choosing a passion over a steady paycheck. These people are taking matters into their own hands and defining their own jobs. The big question is whether this trend can evolve into a sustainable engine of economic growth. Two technological developments—cloud computing and social networking—have the potential to make that possible. Full Article.
Geography of a Recession
If you are interested in looking at how unemployment resulting from the recession affected the United States, you may want check out the map displayed on this website. The time-lapsed display shows progression of unemployment throughout the entire US since 2007. Data used came from the US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Statistics. View time-lapsed map.
New U.S. jobless claims drop
The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits dropped last week, but the level still remained higher than it was at the start of the year. The decline came after claims had risen by a revised 28,000 in the previous week, the largest gain in three months. Full Article.
Unemployment rate drops
LA reversed a months-long trend in February, with every parish having more people working than a month earlier, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Full Article.
U.S. Jobless Claims Drop to Lowest Level Since 2008
Fewer Americans than anticipated filed claims for unemployment last week, pointing to an improvement in the labor market that will help sustain economic growth next year. Companies are retaining staff as sales improve and production picks up. Full Article.
Fewer LA Workers Applying For Unemployment Compensation
Initial claims for unemployment benefits declined in LA for the week ending Nov 28, due primarily to the Thanksgiving break. Full Article.
Recent Portfolio.com Analysis Ranks La 2nd in US For Economic Performance During Recession
A recent Portfolio.com analysis of how all 50 States & District of Columbia fared during the recession recognized La's recent economic momentum and success, ranking it 2nd. N. Dakota was the only state that fared better than Louisiana with an overall economic index. Entire Article.
Unemployment Rate Dips to 9.4% - ARE things finally getting better?
The government’s August 8 unemployment figures showed a slight decrease in unemployment, down to 9.4 from 9.5, but experts warn that “there’s still a lot of pain out there in the streets.” Full article
