Walter Flores was unemployed for 8 months in 2014 but is now working in sales for Workforce Solutions in Compton; Credit: Brian Watt/KPCC

California's unemployment rate continued its decline in December, ending the year at 7 percent, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department.

But in Compton, Willowbrook and the Florence-Graham section of Los Angeles County, it remains about double that, data show.

“You might have work this week. But next week, you won’t have work,” said James Hicks, 36, 0f Compton. He's worked in warehouses through staffing agencies, but said the jobs have always been temporary.

Statewide, California has added jobs at a faster rate than the United States for three straight years, according to Robert Kleinhenz, Chief Economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. He pointed out the statewide unemployment rate is now where it was June 2008. 

"All in all, with the recession now five years back in our rearview mirror, we’re finally at the point where we can say that we have shrugged off quite a bit of the pain that occurred back during those times," Kleinhenz said.

The Los Angeles County metro area saw a net gain of almost 71,000 jobs in 2014.  The County's overall unemployment rate has fallen to 7.9 percent from 9.2 percent a year ago.

But Compton's unemployment rate was 13 percent in December.

“I’d rather have a  full-time type of gig, working 40 hours a week, but right now, even if you get 25 hours, it’s a blessing,” said Hicks, the warehouse worker in Compton.

On Thursday, he interviewed to be a guard with a security firm, but was told there weren’t any positions available. He had another security guard job six months ago that he thought might become full time and permanent. 

"It was going all right for about two to three months, until they cut my hours and days," Hicks said. 

Walter Flores lives in La Mirada but currently works as an account executive in the Compton office of Workforce Solutions. He was unemployed for about eight months last year after a car accident.

"Losing what you love to do is a tough one, but I'm back," he said. "2015 is going to be a great year."

Flores said most major warehouse and logistics companies prefer to hire temporary workers through industrial staffing firms like the one where he's working because their needs are sporadic.  

But he said it's still a potential opportunity.

"It doesn't matter that it's a temporary position, as long as you put your foot in the door, and then you let the employer know how much value you are for the company," Flores said.  

Hicks, who's earned a GED, wants to find a program to study physical therapy. But first, he’d like to find a job. 

He said you can't judge Compton’s residents by its unemployment rate.

"Some of us out here who [are] looking for jobs, but sometimes it’s the luck of the draw," he said. "It’s kind of scarce out there.” 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In this file photo, job seekers line up to enter Choice Career Fair at the Los Angeles Convention Center on December 1, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Overall, the number of unemployed Californians ticked up by 1,000 over the month to nearly 1.4 million for August 2014, but the rate remained unchanged, at 7.4 percent. The national unemployment rate is down to 6.1 percent.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

California's unemployment rate is unchanged for a third month, holding at 7.4 percent in August.

The California Employment Development Department reported Friday that the state added 44,200 nonfarm jobs during the month, bringing the state total to 15.5 million in August.

Last month's gains mean the state has added 1.4 million jobs since February 2010, when the jobless number hit a peak of 12.4 percent.

Overall, the number of unemployed Californians ticked up by 1,000 over the month to nearly 1.4 million. The national unemployment rate is down to 6.1 percent.

Construction posted the largest increase over the month, adding 13,600 jobs. Manufacturing, financial activities, business services, education, health, leisure and government all added jobs in August.

Trade, transportation and utilities, along with information, posted job losses of 8,300.

The latest Labour Force report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, for October 2024.

Employment +15.9k

• expected +25.0k, prior +64.1k

Unemployment Rate 4.1%

• expected 4.1%, prior 4.1%

Participation Rate 67.1%

• expected 67.2%, prior 67.2%

Full Time Employment +9.7k

• prior +51.6k

A slightly softer employment report than we are accustomed to. Not a bad one. But a miss for jobs added, and the participation rate saw a tic knocked off.

More:

• employment to population ratio remained at 64.4%
• underemployment rate decreased to 6.2%
• monthly hours worked increased to 1,972 million.

more to come

While some parts of Gaza are on the verge of famine, Palestinians in the West Bank are also suffering. They are unable to work in jobs in Israel, and the entire economy of the West Bank is contracting. Linda Gradstein reports from the West Bank town of Ramallah. Camera: Ricki Rosen

Wainwright Marks Management - Rising unemployment could force Reserve Bank of Australia to cut interest rates.

“The hiring in some sectors and the layoffs in others is a clear reflection of the ‘feast or famine’ realities occurring with those industries serving consumers."

The post While many file for unemployment, these companies are hiring thousands. Here’s why. appeared first on Boston.com.

A customer walks behind a sign at a Nordstrom in Coral Gables, Fla., store seeking employees in May.; Credit: Marta Lavandier/AP

Two organizations filed a lawsuit against Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb in an attempt to block the state's push to end pandemic unemployment benefits on June 19.

Indiana Legal Services, an organization providing free legal assistance, and the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis filed the lawsuit on behalf of five unnamed plaintiffs who are set to lose their jobless benefits. The complaint was filed Monday in Marion County Superior Court.

This lawsuit may be the first of its kind that aims to stop states from ending these benefits earlier than Congress mandated.

The unemployment insurance program "has served as a vital lifeline for thousands of Hoosiers," the complaint, reviewed by NPR, says. "By prematurely deciding t0 stop administering these federal benefits, Indiana has violated the clear mandates 0f Indiana's unemployment statute—to secure all rights and benefits available for unemployed individuals."

Indiana is one of 25 Republican-led states that decided to end jobless aid in an effort to get people to return to work. Indiana and seven other states are set to end expanded unemployment benefits as soon as this weekend. This is despite Congress's authorization for extra payments until early September.

Those benefits include the extra $300 a week in federal aid and the special pandemic program for gig workers that allows them to receive jobless benefits. Ordinarily, independent contractors wouldn't be eligible.

Plaintiffs, as well as many other Indiana residents, rely entirely on the unemployment benefits to pay for food and rent and to care for their families, the complaint alleges.

Attorneys in this case are requesting the judge approve a preliminary injunction that would allow people to receive their benefits while the case continues.

Holcomb says it's time to get back to work

Holcomb told The Indianapolis Star that people no longer need unemployment benefits as the state has a plethora of jobs open.

"Eliminating these pandemic programs will not be a silver bullet for employers to find employees, but we currently have about 116,000 available jobs in the state that need filled now," he said.

According to the governor's office, Indiana's unemployment rate has recovered to 3.9% after climbing to 17% at the height of the pandemic.

The lawsuit challenges Holcomb's assertion.

Each of the five plaintiffs say they are unable to return to work due to lingering injuries or disability, health conditions that put them at risk for COVID-19 exposure, dependent children at home and no childcare available, or no positions that are available in their career field.

Workers of color feel the loss of unemployment the most

The National Employment Law Project says ending these jobless benefits early threatens the livelihoods of workers of color the most.

Millions of Americans still heavily rely on jobless aid as the country slowly reopens from pandemic-induced lockdowns, according to the organization.

As of May 22, more than 15.3 million people still needed some form of unemployment benefit—nearly twice the number who received payments when the aid programs began in late March 2020, NELP said.

According to its analysis, over 46% of unemployment insurance recipients in the states ending the programs early are people of color.

"The brunt of the impact will be felt by Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other people of color," NELP says.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

(The Center Square) – Iowa had the third greatest increase in unemployment from March 2022 to March 2023, WalletHub reported in a state-by-state ranking.

Updated at 8:47 a.m. ET The coronavirus pandemic has pushed unemployment to its highest level since the Great Depression, but the pace of layoffs has been easing. And there are now some signs that the job market could slowly start to recover. The Labor Department says another 1.87 million people filed claims for unemployment insurance last week. That's down 249,000 from the previous week. While still very high by historical standards, the number has been declining steadily from a peak of 6.8 million the week ending March 28. In the past 11 weeks, 42.6 million new claims have been filed. Continued claims for unemployment went up 649,000, to 21.5 million, in the week ending May 23, the latest week for which data was available, after dropping the prior week. While some workers continue to get pink slips, others have started going back to work. The payroll processor ADP reported Wednesday that private-sector employers cut just under 2.8 million jobs between April and May. That's a much

Shanna LaFountain has been a nursing assistant in New England for 20 years. About two months ago, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, she stopped working. "It was an extremely hard decision," she said. LaFountain has three children and made the decision once their schools closed and their learning went online. "My son was not answering teachers, not doing assignments," she said. "I had to be home with my children." Instead of working, she gets state unemployment benefits and receives another $600 each week from the federal government. She is making more money now than when she works. LaFountain is not alone. As part of the CARES Act, the federal government added an extra $600 per week to individuals' unemployment checks. Such benefits may be available not only to those who were let go but also to those who quit their jobs due to the virus. While a Federal Reserve report said the expanded benefits provide a critical lifeline to many individuals, there is concern that the

Many people with underlying medical conditions are worried about what's going to happen at the end of the month. It's not currently safe for many of them to go back to work. The COVID-19 death rate is 12 times higher for people with underlying conditions. But an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits, which has been enabling them to pay their rent and other bills, will stop coming at the end of July. "We don't have a whole lot of options that don't involve risking our lives," Lauren Van Netta says. "We need help. We really do." Van Netta lost her job at a perfume store in New Orleans during the outbreak. She says she's had serious bacterial infections that have damaged her lungs and compromised her immune system. And she has asthma. So even if she could find another job in retail, she says her doctors have told her it would be risky. She says even wearing a mask and trying to keep social distancing in a workplace, "it's like the fear of, you know, I could make a mistake.

The study found that youth in rural New Hampshire have poor perceptions of job opportunities in the area, and are more likely to be depressed or abuse substances than other rural youth.

South Africa's unemployment rate fell by more than expected in the third quarter, declining by 1.4 percentage points to 32.1%.

The Delaware Department of Labor Fox Valley location in Wilmington will no longer offer “counter service” for unemployment insurance claims beginning January 22, 2019. All unemployment insurance claims will be filed using the streamlined process available online at https://ui.delawareworks.com. Individuals can file a claim using any computer or smart phone without the inconvenience of travelling […]

In the event of a Federal government shutdown, Federal employees may be eligible for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE). The UCFE program is administered by state unemployment insurance (UI) agencies acting as agents of the Federal government. The program is operated under the same terms and conditions that apply to regular state UI. In […]

  Wilmington, DE. May 6, 2019–The Delaware Department of Labor Pencader Office will no longer offer “counter service” and process unemployment insurance applications at its location. Beginning May 20, 2019, individuals must apply for unemployment insurance online. To file an unemployment insurance claim, log on to ui.delawareworks.com and click the red/orange button “File An Unemployment […]

Together with the IRS and Delaware’s Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Division, the Division of Revenue has announced a COVID–19 Relief Discussion this coming Friday, May 22, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). This free 60-minute conference will be open to the public. Delaware’s Director of Revenue Jennifer Hudson, and Director of Unemployment […]

For Immediate Release Friday, May 29, 2020: Wilmington, DE: The Delaware Department of Labor, in its effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, reached another milestone this week by paying the first Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims to eligible Delawareans. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program provides benefits for independent contractors and self-employed workers in the state […]

  For Immediate Release July 20, 2020 Contact: Kenneth Briscoe Director of Communications Kenneth.Briscoe@delaware.gov   (Wilmington, DE) – The Delaware Department of Labor announced today that Delaware has already begun offering the Federal-State Extended Benefits program for those who have exhausted their previous unemployment benefits.   Delaware’s most recent insured unemployment rate (IUR) exceeded the […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Thursday, July 30, 2020, Wilmington, Delaware. The Delaware Department of Labor releases public notification to inform all Delawareans currently receiving Unemployment Insurance Benefits, that the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program ended on July 25, 2020.   Due to the rise in unemployment resulting from the COVID-19 global pandemic, Congress authorized a […]

  FOR RELEASE: December 9, 2020 CONTACT: Kenneth Briscoe Kenneth.Briscoe@delaware.gov   Unemployment Benefits Scheduled to Expire on December 26, 2020 for Many Claimants in Delaware   WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – According to federal program guidelines, all unemployment compensation programs created by the CARES Act are currently scheduled to expire on or before December 26, 2020.   Many […]

The U.S. Department of Justice has received reports that fraudsters are creating websites mimicking unemployment benefit websites, including state workforce agency (SWA) websites, and Facebook pages to unlawfully capture consumers’ personal information.   To lure consumers to these fake websites, fraudsters send spam text messages and emails purporting to be from an SWA and containing […]

WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware Department of Labor (DOL) has issued policy to address questions and concerns about a claimant’s eligibility to collect Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits after refusing to be vaccinated or tested as required by an employer. Delaware law states that claimants are not allowed to receive UI benefits if they have violated […]

The Division of Unemployment Insurance (UI) recently mailed 2024 UI tax rate letters that contained incorrect information. We apologize for the error. We are working to correct the issue and will mail new letters with the correct rate as quickly as possible. All employers will receive updated letters even if their rate does not change. […]

The Division of Unemployment Insurance has corrected the issue related to the 2024 UI tax rate letters mailed in January. Corrected letters have been mailed to employers the week of February 5, 2024. The corrected letters have a date of February 1, 2024. The Division of Unemployment would like to thank all employers for their […]

[COSATU] The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the slight drop in the expanded unemployment rate from 42.6% in the second quarter to 41.9% in the third quarter of this year.

At just 11 years old, with a heavy heart, Louis  peered up at his parents and said goodbye. He was leaving his small village in northern Benin to live with his uncle in Parakou, where the schools were better. Ever since, Louis has continued to make sacrifices to pursue a strong education and a better […]

The small community of Ribeira stands out in the Northeast, the poorest region of Brazil. There is no unemployment here. One in five inhabitants make a living directly or indirectly from the Arteza Cooperative of Tanners and Leather Artisans. “An idea has the power to transform your world,” said in a philosophical tone Ângelo Macio, […]

Canada's unemployment rate was unchanged in October at 6.5 per cent, while job growth was little changed from the previous month, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The rate of unemployment stood at 4.3% in the three months to September, up from 4% the previous quarter.

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The latest labour force survey data show how severe this is in urban India

Public confusion over the extent of unemployment is a result of the differences in the various data bases used

A better female labour force participation rate can improve overall family income and welfare, especially in rural India

National Bureau of Economic Research