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With more good news about the job market, why are we hearing about so many layoffs?

Feb 15, 2024
Layoff announcements at big companies --like Cisco, this week--can seem at odds with low unemployment claim numbers and positive monthly job reports.
Amid more good news about a bustling job market, Cisco announced major layoffs this week.
Alexander Koerner / Getty Images

Unemployment claims are at their lowest number since January

Sep 21, 2023
The labor market is still pretty tight, even after the last year and a half of rate hikes loosened things a bit.
Even without big hiring expansions, there are still more jobs out there than workers available to fill them.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Fewer people are leaving their jobs. What's that mean for the economy?

Jun 1, 2023
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover report for April showed that the quits rate has dropped back to average levels in 2019.
U.S. unemployment claims rose slightly last week and the quits rate declined in April, suggesting a softer labor market.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Jobless claims are up, but unemployment is still low. What does that mean?

May 11, 2023
The four-week moving average of unemployment benefits claims is at the highest level since late 2021. Is this more evidence of a slowly cooling economy?
The four-week moving average of unemployment insurance claims is the highest it’s been since late 2021.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Continuing unemployment claims, explained

Feb 23, 2023
Continuing claims for benefits fell by 37,000 for the week, according to the latest data from the Labor Department.
A "Join our team today!" sign posted at a UPS store early this month. Weekly jobless claims data suggests continuing strength in the job market.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Layoffs are up, first-time jobless claims are down. What gives?

Jan 23, 2023
The job market is still tight, so many who've lost jobs rejoin the workforce fast. Others aren't eager to deal with the unemployment insurance system.
Layoffs have so far been concentrated in the tech sector, but the overall unemployment trend has remained near decade-lows.
Eblis/Getty Images

Is anyone who lost their job blaming the Fed?

Dec 1, 2022
About 225,000 filed unemployment claims last week. The public soured on the Fed the last time it jacked up interest rates to quell inflation.
While the public hasn't soured on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as much as it did on Paul Volcker in the '80s, a Gallup poll finds approval of the Fed slipping.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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The economy's contradictory signals: more jobless claims, but more durable goods orders too

Nov 23, 2022
Rising orders for things like cars and dishwashers point to big improvements in global supply chains and few shortages, one economist says.
Orders for durable goods, which include trucks and cars, are up.
Jeff Kowalsky

Latino employment high but outlook could be shaky

Oct 20, 2022
Cuts to construction may mean job losses for Latinos. But a younger, more educated workforce means Latinos could fare better in a downturn than in the past.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Despite the shaky economy, jobless claims are down. Here's why.

Sep 29, 2022
It's taken companies so long to replace workers lost during the pandemic that many firms are reluctant to lay them off.
Economists and central bankers abound are watching today's jobs report to get a gauge on inflation.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images