Unemployment | GlobalPost

Steady hiring pushes down unemployment rates in 40 US states in April; only 3 report increases

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 12:00

WASHINGTON - Solid hiring helped push down unemployment rates in 40 U.S. states last month, the most since November. The declines show job markets are improving in most areas of the country. The Labor Department says unemployment rates only rose in Louisiana, Tennessee and North Dakota. Rates were unchanged in seven states. California, New York and South Carolina all reported the largest declines in April unemployment. Each states rate fell by 0.4 percentage points. The report noted that 30 states added jobs in April; 18 reported fewer jobs.

Suicide rate rose sharply among middle-aged Americans, CDC finds

Thomson ReutersMay 15, 2013 13:58

By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian NEW YORK (Reuters) - The suicide rate among Americans aged 35 to 64 rose sharply between 1999 and 2010, a trend that could reflect the stresses of a sharp economic downturn as well as other traditionally overlooked challenges of middle age, according to a federal report released on Thursday.

Unemployment rate in rich countries edges down

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 08:15

The unemployment rate across rich countries eased slightly to 8.0 percent in March, the OECD said on Wednesday but this meant that 48.3 million people were officially without work in the downdraught of the financial and eurozone debt crises. The figures and trends for the 34-nation OECD area varied widely. The eurozone rate rose to a record 12.1 percent, the rate in the United States eased slightly to 7.6 percent, and went down further to 7.5 percent in April, and in Japan to 4.1 percent in March.

British official unemployment hits 2.52 mln

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 06:31

British unemployment has risen for the third month in a row, official data showed on Wednesday, while total pay growth sank to its lowest level in four years. The number of unemployed people climbed by 15,000 to reach 2.52 million in the three months to the end of March, compared with the three months to the end of December. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) added in a statement that Britain's unemployment rate stood at 7.8 percent in the same period.

France, Germany plan 'New Deal' for jobless youths

Agence France-PresseMay 13, 2013 11:00

Germany and France plan to launch this month a "New Deal for Europe" against youth unemployment, which has topped 50 percent in several countries, with credits for companies that create jobs, a news report said Monday. Under the initiative, billions of euros (dollars) in loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) would be used to promote education, training and job placements for young people, reported Germany's Rheinische Post daily.

Political parties translate job rates differently days away from B.C. election

The Canadian PressMay 10, 2013 14:00

VANCOUVER - The B.C. Liberals have been banking on a jobs and economic growth platform to lead them to victory, but with four days left until voting day, the latest jobs statistics appear to fuel the NDP's claims that Christy Clark's jobs plan has not been as successful as she claims. Statistics Canada said on Friday that British Columbia's jobless rate dropped six-tenths of a point in April to 6.4 per cent, while the province also gained 9,500 full-time jobs. Statistics Canada also said B.C. experienced the second highest jobs growth in Canada last month.

New Zealand jobless rate falls to three-year low

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 12:46

New Zealand's unemployment rate fell 0.6 points to a three-year low of 6.2 percent in the three months to March 31, official figures released Thursday showed. While the market had expected unemployment to rise slightly on the 6.8 percent recorded in the December quarter, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said the number of people employed rose by 38,000. SNZ industry and labour statistics manager Diane Ramsay said the labour market had staged a strong turnaround after weakness in 2012.

QuickStats: Facts and figures about employment in Canada in the month of April

The Canadian PressMay 10, 2013 11:01

OTTAWA - A quick look at April unemployment (previous month in brackets): Unemployment rate: 7.2 per cent (7.2) Number unemployed: 1,361,700 (1,374,700) Number working: 17,654,400 (17,641,900) Youth (15-24 years) unemployment: 14.5 per cent (14.2) Men (25 plus) unemployment: 6.1 per cent (6.1) Women (25 plus) unemployment: 5.6 per cent (5.8)

Obama pressed to do more on jobs, stagnant wages as he pushed his own initiatives

The Canadian PressMay 10, 2013 06:10

WASHINGTON - The nation's slowly improving jobs picture hides problems like stagnant wages and fewer working hours that strike directly at President Barack Obama's base of support — young people, racial minorities and the less affluent. As the president launches a new focus on jobs, his traditional allies contend Obama has put too much of an emphasis on a deficit-cutting grand bargain with Republicans at the expense of creating jobs.

UN says global youth unemployment rate to reach 12.8 per cent by 2018

The Canadian PressMay 8, 2013 09:32

GENEVA - Youth unemployment is likely to rise globally to 12.8 per cent by 2018, wiping out gains made in the recent economic recovery, the U.N.'s labour office said Wednesday. As of last year, some 12.4 per cent of people aged 15 to 24 worldwide were unemployed, up from 12.3 per cent in 2011, according to a report published by the International Labor Organization, which is based in Geneva. In six of 10 developing countries surveyed, more than 60 per cent of the young people were either unemployed or trapped in low-paying jobs, the report found.