First-time filings for unemployment insurance fell by 34,000 to 262,000 in the week ended April 25, the lowest since April 15, 2000, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington. The figure was smaller than the lowest projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
With job openings at a 14-year high and prospects for stronger growth after the first-quarter setback, companies are intent on maintaining headcounts. The level of firings is consistent the Federal Reserve’s view of sustained progress in the job market.
“Claims have been quite steady, remaining below this key level of 300,000,” Thomas Costerg, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in New York, said before the report. “The U.S. labor market is in good shape and has been quite resilient.”
The median forecast of 50 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 290,000, with estimates ranging from 275,000 to 300,000. Claims in the prior week were revised to 296,000 from an initially reported 295,000.
In his weekly address, President Obama spoke about the importance of educating and training today’s work force for the jobs of today and for the jobs of the future. Through his opportunity agenda, the President is focused on creating more jobs, educating more kids, and working to make sure hard work pays off with higher wages and better benefits.
President Obama used this weeks weekly address to discuss his recent meetings with Republicans at the White House. The President urged Congress to pass a budget, and allow Americans to get back to work.
Over the past few days, I’ve met with Republicans and Democrats from both houses of Congress in an effort to reopen your government and remove the dangers of default from our economy.
It’s a positive development that House Republicans have agreed on the need to avoid the economic consequences of not meeting our country’s commitments. Because once the debt ceiling is raised, and the shutdown is over, there’s a lot we can accomplish together.
We’ve created seven and a half million new jobs in the past three and a half years. Now let’s create more. We’ve cut our deficits in half over the past four years. Now let’s do it in a smarter, balanced way that lets us afford to invest in the things we need to grow.
The truth is, there’s a lot we can agree on. But one thing we have to agree on is that there is no good reason anyone should keep suffering through this shutdown. I met with some really innovative small business owners on Friday who’ve already lost contracts, lost customers, and put hiring on hold – because the pain of this Republican shutdown has trickled down to their bottom lines. It’s hurting the very citizens that our government exists to serve. That’s why a growing number of reasonable Republicans say it should end now.
Last night I drove my friend Kim and her sister home and got into one of the most interesting conversations I’ve had in quite a long time. Kim believes her boyfriend needs to become more independent from his parents as she sees them as still treating him as if he is a young kid, he is actually nineteen. He recently got a good paying job and she says that he is on his way and hopefully will become less dependent on his parents. Her sister on the other hand says that neither of them are ready to be fully independent; she brought up very good points seeing that both live under their roofs of their respected parents still and a part time job will never even pay half of any bill. Her final thoughts on the matter were “You’re both not ready to be independent , nobody is forcing you to do so. Ya both can still ask your parents for whatever you want unlike when you’re older. You need to enjoy that luxury while you still can.”
The most expensive thing I ever bought with my own money, I did feel quite accomplished to do so
Going through middle and high school I was always labeled as the “rich kid” and I tried so hard to shake that false nickname. That goal coupled with just growing up can explain why I desire to be seen or at least try to be independent and make my own way. I can’t even remember the last time I asked for a gift, birthday or even Christmas, on top of that fact nights I go out with friends I always turn down any money my parents want to give me. I’ve gotten into the habit of “If I can’t afford it, I don’t buy it.” It seems to be quite a good motto to live by. My desire to be independent is fueled by my pride, I feel that relying on my parents when I’m eighteen isn’t something I should be doing.
Looking around at my group of friends most of them go to school full time and a handful have a job on the side. Of course thanks to scholarships and loans that money earned from a job is mostly used for leisurely purposes and rarely saved or invested. On the other hand though, most of them want to make it on their own as well and really just grow up and be dependent on no one by themselves. It’s safe to assume that all of us teenagers want to be independent.
Perhaps though, my friend’s sister is completely right. Perhaps none of us teens are really one hundred percent ready to make it on our own just yet. We still live under our parents roofs and I can’t say I know any of my friends who pay all of their own bills by themselves. We still have the luxury of being helped by our parents and it really is something we should enjoy and not brush aside. I guess my desire to be fully independent can be put on hold for at least another year or two.
Mark Sanchez is owed $8.25 million next season after having a miserable 2012-13 season
Let me just say, I’m not sure if drafting Geno Smith was a wise move or just a move to create publicity. The Jets current roster has Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Geno Smith, David Garrard, Greg McElroy, and Matt Simms all for the position of quarterback; That list is just down right ridiculous. While guys like McElroy and Simms are not big names nor important right now, the questions still circulate around Sanchez and Smith. Will the Jet’s release Sanchez, taking a $12.35 million cap hit this year and $4.8 million hit in 2014, or will they keep him and let him compete for a job that was once easily his? Will Garrad be the back up to Smith or will Garrad have the starting job?
Welcome Geno Smith, to the Jets media circus
Once again I’m going to do a favor to a professional sports teams front office, free of charge; it would be wise to release Mark Sanchez. Granted his 2012-2013 season was horrific, though it will be an immediate cap hit this season, it will push the Jets under cap for the 2014 season. Garrad is more than skilled enough to help Geno Smith grow, assuming he is the next franchise quarterback for the Jets. If they shall go on this releasing frenzy, also release Tebow and allow him to carve his own path in the NFL. Let Geno get comfortable playing for the Jets and let Rex Ryan reel in his defense again; perhaps one day soon we shall see the Jets again in an AFC championship game. Until that day comes, the Jets have quite a lot of work to do.
From elementary school through high school kids, have the word “college” drilled into their heads as if their own future depends on it. Teachers and principals are pressured to make their students’ grades resemble those of a Harvard Graduates. Parents try to get their kids involved in sports, after school activities, volunteer work, and even jobs to just increase their value towards colleges. The thing people seem to miss is that college is not a walk in the park. It is not meant for everyone and everyone is not meant for college.
Back when my parents attended college you had the choice of working instead of attending school, both of my parents worked for a bit then attended school. The woman who cuts my hair has never attended college and I can honestly say she seems no less happy or successful than my parents or anyone else I have met. I’ve put my hands in both the school and work corners, and neither of them have panned out at all and it makes me wonder. What is a teenager to do?
The idea of four more years of school straight after high school just didn’t sit well with me at all. I knew I was already burnt out from high school and college would be me running out of gas, hence, why I was reluctant to apply. But I didn’t know where else I was going to go. With an unhappy look on my face I started filling out applications and soon enough I began getting responses.
The first letter I received back was from Rutgers New Brunswick, Not even an afterthought to go to for college, but I just wanted to test the waters. I opened the letter and read the first line… “sorry but we cannot accept your application into Rutgers New Brunswick”.
I knew I wasn’t this outstanding student, but wow. That initial rejection hurt a lot more than I’d expected, even from a college I had no intention to go to. The next few letters were much more positive and by late December I had a handful of choices where I could get into that “college life” that movies seem to make so perfect, fun, and amazing. I decided to become a pioneer and attend William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. I stayed there for four months till I became absolutely sick of college and decided to try the road less traveled and work for a couple of years.
When I started my job hunt, my greatest ally – at least told by everyone in this world – would be my résumé. My resume looked like a blank piece of paper with the name “Justin Emerson” on top and my contact information. Very impressive, I know. I cannot say I didn’t try to find a job in high school but I never seemed to think I’d be so desperate to find one.
When I left college, I knew I did not want to work some dead-end 9-5 that pays me mere change. I wanted something exotic and exciting. Bartender! It had this aura of excitement around it in my mind and was something where I could be social and enjoy my job at the same time. So off to a bartending school I went. I took the course, graduated, went to their job placement, and well…here I am writing about me trying to find a job.
A new approach was needed. While a minimum wage job totally cramps my style, it seemed more reasonable than an eighteen year old bartender. I went off filling out applications and searching Craigslist and the internet for jobs. This approach met little success coupled with mostly failure. Here is a short list of places I’ve worked at or applied to:
Toyota dealership
Tesla Motors
Apple
Gamestop
Nike
Converse
FootLocker
Kohl’s
CottonOn
H&M
PacSun
Olive Garden
Red Lobster
One word can sum up my job hunting: discouraging.
So, as you can see neither road has really worked for me. On that note I have applied and been accepted to Bergen County College where I plan to go and transfer to a four-year college soon after. I’m not happy or excited about going back to college, but like I asked in the first paragraph. What is a teenager to do?
LOL. These Republicans are so transparent we could see right through them.
Republicans are now trying to manufacture a political crisis using stay-at-home-moms and the words of Democratic Strategist Hilary Rosen. Ms Rosen said on CNN that Ann Romney – wife of Mitt Romney – “did not work a day in her life” and that she did not face the same economic hardships many women face today.
This prompted Ann Romney to take to Twitter, tweeting “I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work.”
Although the words of Hilary could have been said differently, her words are true. But since a recent poll showed that women are heavily in favor of President Obama over his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, Republicans think this issue will gain them favor with women.
Their hope is that women will forget the last 3 years when Republican governors throughout the nation engaged in a war on women – taking away women’s health care, attacking women’s right to choose, ending their equal pay for equal work and blocking legislations in congress meant to protect violence against women. Yes, Congressional Republicans have been blocking the Violence Against Women Act!
With all that in mind, Republicans are trying to pretend that they are for women’s rights and they are doing it by trying to paint Democrats as being against stay-at-home-moms. They are calling this attack the Democrat’s war on stay-at-home-moms, and they are claiming that Democrats think stay-at-home-mom’s don’t work.
But as it turns out, Mitt Romney is the one insinuating that Stay-at-home-moms don’t work. In the video below, Romney is heard saying that in today’s economy, households need two incomes to succeed. And listening to Romney, it sounds as if he is saying that what stay-at-home-moms do, is not work.
Take a look at what Mitt Romney said in 1994 – “this is a different world than it was in the 1960s when I was growing up. When you used to be able to have mom at home and dad at work. Now mom and dad both have to work.”
President Obama used his weekly address to ask Congress to “put partisanship aside,” and pass his jobs bill that would put America’s veterans back to work. “Today, more than 850,000 veterans remain unemployed,” the president said. “And too many are struggling to find a job worthy of their talents and experience.”
He continued.
That’s not right. We ask these men and women to leave their families and their jobs and risk their lives to fight for our country. The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they get home.
The President again, made his pledge to the men and women of our armed services.
As Commander-in-Chief, I want every veteran to know that America will always honor your service and your sacrifice – not just today, but every day. And just as you fought for us, we’re going to keep fighting for you – for more jobs, for more security, for the opportunity to keep your families strong and America competitive in the 21st century.
It is simple math, really! The primary incentive for any Corporation is to make money, to make a profit. But in order for these companies to achieve their goal, their products or services must be in demand and then purchased. When the demand is there and consumers are able to purchase these products or services, companies make a profit then produce more to satisfy consumer demand, thus more profits.
The problem with this economy is not a matter of supply and demand. Records show that Corporations are sitting on a collective financial nest egg of about $2 trillion in cash, so the ability to produce is there. And the problem is not a lack of demand either, for as long as there are consumers, there will always be a demand. The problem with this economy is the ability of consumers to purchase. It’s a vicious cycle – take away consumer’s ability to purchase, and the company’s profit incentive is no longer achievable. If the company can’t see a way to be profitable, they lay off workers and sit on their nest-egg. These laid off workers then join a population of non-consumers who don’t have the ability to purchase and the cycle continues.
What then, is the answer? As far as I can see, the answer is simple – give consumers the ability to purchase.
The best, most ideal way to do this is with jobs. If consumers are working, they get a paycheck and thus, are able to purchase. But in this economy, jobs are becoming scarce because Corporations are trying to hold on to their profits and are laying off. If we can’t attack the problem by making Corporations hire, then we must attack it from the other end – creating the ability for consumers to buy, thus, increasing demand. When this demand is increased, the profit margin is realized by these Corporations, and hiring is increased to meet the demand of the consumers.
How do you empower the consumers? There are two ways:
The government must pick up the slack and take the initiative. A perfect example of this was the actions of President Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression, where the government took more of an active role in The New Deal and was able to reduce unemployment by converting auto manufacturing plants into factories to meet the demands of World War 2. This action alone employed millions of unemployed Americans, giving them a paycheck and essentially reversing the effects of the Great Depression.
A massive direct Stimulus Bill – This will put real dollars into the hands of consumers, thus, giving them the ability to consume. Because of the nature of this method, it is not a long-term sustained effort to get the economy going, but it will provide a necessary needed jolt that can get corporations hiring again to meet the sudden demand by these newly empowered consumers. More hires will eventually lead to more paychecks, thus reversing the effects of this recession.
Can this government employ these two measures now to get the economy back on the right track? Yes, they can, but it takes both sides to come to the table with a real genuine goal to get America back to work. We’ve heard a lot about “shovel ready projects.” These are real areas where people can get work and begin the process of ending this recession. Bridges, roads, schools and America’s communication infrastructures need repair. We talk about green technology and clean energy, well now is the time to put people to work getting these ideas implemented. If Roosevelt had the ability to do it back in the 1930/40’s, there is no reason why it can’t be done now.
So if a simple person like myself can figure this out, why can’t the elected elites in Washington do the same?
And now, this Republican Representative is using the floor of the House to give her expertise on why more blacks are in prisons. Her reason? Blacks don’t work as hard as whites do in school.
Her name is Sally Kern, the Republican Representative in Oklahoma.
It is just because they’re black that they’re in prison, or is it because they didn’t want to work hard in school? And white people often times want to work hard in school or Asians often times. But a lot of times, that’s what happens, and I taught school for 20 years, and I saw a lot of people of color who didn’t want to work as hard, they just want it given to them.
Congratulations to the Representative in the audience, who, after hearing the dumb nonsense coming from his co-worker, got up and walked out. Kudos to you sir!
Update: Realizing what she said, Mrs. Kern issued an apology.
“I want to humbly apologize for my statements last night about African-Americans and women,” Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said in the statement. “I believe that our government should not provide preference based on race or gender. I misspoke while trying to convey this point last night during debate.”
House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, said he called Kern to express his concerns, but said he will not ask her to step down.
“I told her I disagree with her comments,” Steele said. “She’s done the right thing in issuing that apology.”
Word from the Keith Olbermann camp – Mr. Olbermann broke the news on a conference call today that his new television show will begin this spring on Current TV. No word yet on what day or time the show starts, but his more than 1 million nightly fans of the former Countdown on MSNBC will be more than pleased to tune in. More from the NYTimes;
The untitled hour of news and commentary will effectively mimic “Countdown,” the MSNBC program that Mr. Olbermann conceived eight years ago and quit hosting last month. Mr. Olbermann told reporters on a conference call Tuesday that the new program would be “an improved, and we hope amplified and stronger, version of the show that I just did.”
Current is betting that Mr. Olbermann will put it on the cable map — and it needs the help. The channel averages just 23,000 viewers in prime time each night.
Mr. Olbermann drew about 1 million viewers to his MSNBC program each night. This is “the best investment that Current has ever made,” said another channel co-founder, Joel Hyatt.
Mr. Olbermann will have an equity stake in the company, and he will also have a management role. As the chief news officer, he will develop new programs and provide editorial guidance to the channel’s journalists.
“We are counting down the days to Keith Olbermann’s return to television,” the channel’s chief executive, Mark Rosenthal, said on the conference call. But he did not announce a premiere date or a time slot for the program.
With Current TV, Mr. Olbermann gains a measure of independence. Unlike most cable channels, including MSNBC, which are owned by large media companies, Current is privately and independently owned by Mr. Gore, the former vice president, and other backers.
Mr. Gore praised Mr. Olbermann in a statement. “We are delighted to provide Keith with the independent platform and freedom that Current can and does uniquely offer,” he said.
For more on this story, click here. Check your cable provider for channel info!
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By agreeing to this, we can analyze browsing behavior and unique IDs on this site. Declining or revoking consent may affect certain features.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
