Joblessness

After months of tepid jobs reports, the Labor Department reported Friday that nation's unemployment fell to a level not seen since before President Obama took office in January 2009, 7.8 percent. That was good news for job hunters and workers -- and of course, President Obama. So immediately the conspiracy ...

For desperate job seekers, June's employment report from the Labor Department contained little -- if any -- good news. The U.S. economy added far fewer jobs than analysts expected, just 80,000, compared to the 90,000 forecast, and the unemployment rate remained at 8.2 percent, or 12.7 million people. ...

If you're thinking the labor market feels lousy, just released data from the federal government will bolster your suspicions. The Labor Department said Friday that data from the nation's employers showed that they added only 69,000 jobs in May, far fewer than the 150,000 that analysts had expected, while a ...

In this era of high unemployment, many parents and students wonder which college degrees pay off -- and which don't. A recent study by Georgetown University Center on Education looked at earnings and unemployment rates among recent and seasoned degree holders as well as those with graduate degrees and found ...

The nation's jobs picture got a weaker-than-expected shot in the arm Friday, following a report from the Labor Department that showed the economy created 120,000 jobs in March, well below analyst expectations of 200,000 newly created positions. As expected, the pace of job creation slowed in March, even as ...

Maryland has joined a growing list of states considering legislation to protect the unemployed. Legislators there are weighing a bill that would prevent employers from limiting applications for open positions to only those currently holding jobs. Advocates nationwide argue that such laws are needed given the ...

By Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON -- The number of people seeking unemployment aid fell last week, a sign that companies are cutting fewer jobs and likely stepping up hiring. Weekly unemployment applications fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 367,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week ...

WASHINGTON -- A burst of hiring in December pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a boost at the end of 2011. The Labor Department said Friday that employers added a net 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest ...

By economists' determinations, the recent recession the nation endured beginning in December 2007 officially ended in mid-2009. But for many jobless Americans the pain still lingers. More than two years into the rebound, job creation remains tepid, leading some to refer to the current economic situation as a ...