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More unemployment claims filed nationally last week

The U.S. Labor Department says applications for unemployment aid rose by 18,000 to a seasonally adjusted 409,000 in the week ending Jan. 1. Applications fell to 391,000 in the previous week, the lowest point since July 2008.

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Congress sends tax legislation to White House

Acting with uncommon speed, Congress sent President Barack Obama sweeping, bipartisan legislation late Thursday night to avoid a Jan. 1 spike in income taxes for millions and renew jobless benefits for victims of the worst recession in 80 years.

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Jobless claims tick up again

Difficulties adjusting for the Thanksgiving holiday contributed to last week’s spike in new applications, a government analyst said. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths volatility, fell to 431,000 last week, a two-year low.

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Jobless claims drop sharply

A Labor Department analyst said weekly claims are volatile during the week between the Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving holidays. A key question is whether claims will remain this low in future weeks.

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Jobless claims fall sharply to 4-month low

The U.S. Labor Department said Wednesday that initial claims for jobless aid dropped by 24,000, to a seasonally adjusted 435,000. Many Wall Street economists expected a smaller decrease.

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Weak employment report expected Friday

Newly elected members of Congress will get a reminder Friday of the economic challenges they face in January: The jobs report for October is expected to show hiring weak and unemployment still high. The outlook for 2011 isn't much better.

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U.S. economy grew anemically in third quarter

The government reported Friday morning that the economy expanded at a 2-percent annual rate in the July-September quarter. It marked a slight improvement from the feeble 1.7-percent growth in the April-June quarter.

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