RSS FeedClaims for unemployment benefits took a significant jump early this month, as experts believe the temporary lull over the holidays was a just a blip in the overall pattern of high unemployment.
And, as more people appear to be jobless to start the new year, bankruptcy filings may grow as well, as consumers look to shed debts they accrued over the holiday season.
The statistics paint a picture of an economy that continues to sputter along, with a few signs of fragile improvement.
According to a recent report in USA Today, the unemployment figures for the first few weeks of January are not particularly heartening:
- Jump in applications. Last week, the number of applications for federal unemployment benefits jumped by 24,000, to a seasonally adjusted figure of 399,000 applications, which is the highest such number in three weeks, according to the Labor Department.
- No more decline. This jump in applications was a bit unsettling because they had fallen steadily for three months, bringing the total number of people receiving unemployment benefits to the lowest amount in three years.
- Magic number.
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