Mortgage rates are falling as this week's dramatic action by the Federal Reserve provides a boost to the dismal housing market, but the nation's unemployment rolls are stuck at historically high levels amid a deepening recession.
Mortgage giant Freddie Mac
Jobs data from the government, while better than expected, was still sobering. The Labor Department on Thursday said its tally of initial jobless benefit claims fell to a seasonally adjusted 554,000 from an upwardly revised figure of 575,000 the previous week. The new tally was slightly below economists' expectations of 558,000 claims.
Another slight improvement was seen in the number of people who continue to receive jobless benefits, which declined to 4.38 million from 4.43 million the previous week. Economists expected a slight increase to 4.45 million.
Still, claims remain near the highest level since 1982, though the labor force has grown by about half since then.
And the cuts continue. Water treatment and storage systems maker Pentair Inc.
Meanwhile, President-elect Barack Obama is laying the groundwork for a giant economic stimulus package, worth possibly $850 billion over two years, which Democratic congressional leaders say could be passed within two weeks of Obama taking office.
'Business' 카테고리의 다른 글
| A Bailout For Detroit (0) | 2008.12.20 |
|---|---|
| Japan Sink Rate (0) | 2008.12.20 |
| Stocks vacillate amid lingering economic fears (0) | 2008.12.19 |
| Bush considering "orderly" auto bankruptcy (0) | 2008.12.19 |
| Internet companies (0) | 2008.12.19 |
