More on the April jobs report

May 4, 2012
The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent while the jobs added was a bit lower than previous months. But what can we find when we scratch the surface of the April unemployment report?

Employment numbers? Ignore them.

May 4, 2012
Our New York bureau chief Heidi Moore tells us why we shouldn't be moved by the monthly jobs numbers.

Older workers facing softening job market

May 3, 2012
A record level of unemployed workers are dealing with long-term unemployment -- including one particular group.

Americans, employment and the 'Optimism Gap'

Apr 19, 2012
In just a little while, we'll hear the latest on how many people were forced to sign up for unemployment benefits. But how's the job market doing if you actually ask people?

When people leaving their jobs is a good thing

Apr 12, 2012
The number of people signing up for unemployment benefits rose by 13,000 over the last week -- a surprise and not a good one. But more people voluntarily leaving their jobs can also be a good sign for the economy.

How working at home factors into the economy

Apr 12, 2012
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week by 13,000 to 380,000. But what about all those Americans working at home?

March jobs report disappointing, but not a disaster

Apr 9, 2012
After news that Sony is cutting 6 percent of its workforce and that the U.S. economy only added 120,000 jobs last month, the future doesn't look bright -- but a bigger picture shows it's all just part of a slow recovery.

For public good, not for profit.

Baby Boomers choosing to retire earlier

There was one tiny bright spot to March's unemployment report: 164,000 fewer people were looking for work. One particular demographic that has dropped out of the search -- Baby Boomers who are choosing to retire prematurely.

Federal job retraining programs are running out of money

Apr 9, 2012
The economy's doing better, but unemployment is still at over 8 percent. Lots of jobless workers have turned to federally-funded retraining programs, but as New York Times reporter Motoko Rich reports, funding is running dry.

March job growth sluggish

Apr 6, 2012
Employers hired many fewer workers in March than in previous months, but the unemployment rate fell for the first time since January.