Jobless claims fell by 2,000 in the first full week of January, according to numbers released this week by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The total number of weekly applications for benefits fell to 326,000, the lowest in six weeks.
Its the latest in the a host of positive economic news in the past month – with the possible exception of the unemployment numbers, which showed only a gain of 75,000 in December 2013.
Even so, most economic indicators show slow but steady growth in the United States economy. Many economists attributed the somewhat lower job numbers to bad weather in December and others said the unemployment numbers might prove to be a fluke, according to the Wall Street Journal.
All the recent good news may be an indicator that now is a good time to earn a business degree and prepare to enter a job market that is improving but will also be more competitive as those who have improved their education credentials move into the job market.
According to the Wall Street Journal, federal officials are closely monitoring the economic situation to assess how to implement the plan of cutting back the bond-buying program by the Federal Reserve that has helped keep interest rates low.
Much of what Americans are experiencing depends on location. States such as Texas have a lower unemployment rate than the national average and in some areas have experienced little affect from the national recession. Other states, such as Florida and Nevada, still have many areas with a lower economic output than before the beginning of the recession, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In the latest jobless benefits report, the Labor Department listed state-by-state numbers and gave reasons for those increases. Those experiencing the biggest increase in jobless claims included:
New York, due to layoffs in the transportation, construction, warehouse and educational services industry.
Georgia, where there have been layoffs in many different industries, including manufacturing, construction, administrative and support services, transportation and warehousing and health care.
South Carolina, due to layoffs in manufacturing and administrative support.
Alabama, due to layoffs in manufacturing, administrative support and retail.
Overall, the states with the highest percentage of the working-age population seeking government benefits remain spread across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the states with the highest insured unemployment rates at the end of December 2013 were:
- Alaska
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Pennsylvania
- Montana
- Wisconsin
- Oregon
- California
- Illinois
- Idaho
