President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a restoration of benefits for people who have been out of work for six
months or more. The move ended an interruption that cut off payments averaging about $300 a week to 2½ million people
who have been unable to find work in the aftermath of the nation's long and deep recession.
The sharp increase comes after claims fell steeply two weeks ago to their lowest level since August 2008. But much of that
drop was driven by temporary seasonal factors and not an improving job market.
A bill advancing in Congress that would restore unemployment benefits for millions of Americans could help about 80,000 Indiana
residents who have been out of work more than six months.
The Senate is poised to pass legislation restoring jobless benefits for millions of people unable to find work in the frail
economic recovery.
June figure hits 10.1 percent, up a tick from April and May, marking the third straight month Indiana’s unemployment rate
has been in double digits.
Economists say the U.S. recovery continued during the second quarter of this year with more businesses hiring workers and
fewer cutting jobs, but the pace of growth has slowed, a new survey shows.
An Indiana agency is telling about 36,000 people who collected a $25 stimulus payment as part of their unemployment check
that they must repay the money because they were later ruled ineligible.
The Labor Department said new claims dropped to the lowest level since August 2008. But much of that was the result of seasonal
factors.
The bleeding seems to have stopped where job loss is concerned, but it’s not time to pat ourselves on the back.
Claims have fluctuated wildly in the past several weeks and have not dropped below January levels. Elevated unemployment claims,
along with last month’s weak jobs report and a struggling housing market, have economists worried the recovery is slowing.
John Gorman, who worked for the same company for 31 years before he was fired in December, has been waiting on a decision
for at least 100 days, and he still hasn't received his unemployment check, according to the American Civil Liberties
Union of Indiana.
Pessimism about economic recovery grows as employment numbers for June fall short of expectations.
Senate Democrats are working on a new way to jump-start their stalled election-year jobs agenda while saving unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of laid-off workers. The plan combines in one bill the unemployment benefits with an extension of a popular tax credit for people who buy new homes.
Indiana’s May unemployment figure remains in double digits for second consecutive month, despite some job growth.
Virtually all the job creation in May came from the hiring of 411,000 census workers. Job creation by private companies grew
at the slowest pace since the start of the year.
A couple of Hoosier entrepreneurs think they can take their career information web site national.
Indiana unemployment figure hits double digits in April for the first time since September, showing how volatile the job market
remains.
Applications for unemployment benefits rose to 471,000 last week, up by 25,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department
said Thursday. It was the first increase in five weeks and the biggest jump since a gain of 40,000 in February.
Employers, encouraged by a recovering economy, are hiring again. But they are not doing it at the level needed to reduce the
jobless rate.
The Labor Department said Thursday that initial applications for unemployment benefits dropped by 11,000 to 448,000, the lowest
level in four weeks.
