sottnet--2019-01-27--UK US unemployment at records lows because involuntary part-time work is high

UK & US unemployment at 'records lows' because involuntary part-time work is high

they're only working part-time because they cannot get a full-time job.  Britain just notched up yet another record-breaking low for unemployment, according to the government. Unemployment stayed at just 4%, while the number of people with jobs rose to 32.54 million, or 75.8%,But once again, the monthly jobs tally eclipsed how that miracle was achieved. "Headline" unemployment is only at a record low because of a 42% increase in the number of people who are in "involuntary" part-time work."Involuntary" meansIn March 2006, at the peak of the economic boom that preceded the great financial crisis, involuntary part-time work was at a low of 620,000. It rose to a peak after the 2008 crisis. But today, after 10 years of economic growth, it has settled back to 881,000 - an increase of 42% over the period, according to the ONS This is not good news.Four percent unemployment is technically "full employment." Anyone who wants a job should be able to get one. But 881,000 workers need full-time jobs - the kind that get people out of poverty - and those jobs are not available.The average part-time employee in Britain works for about 16 hours a week, less than half the 40 hours that are generally considered to constitute "full-time" work, according to the ONS.So, if "involuntary" part-timers were reclassified as "unemployed" - on the logic that they are unemployed for a majority of their week - then, not 1.4 million.This isn't just a thought experiment. The labour market in the UK and the US (they're similar) has structurally changed since the early 2000s in a way that is poorly understood.Here is the situation in America.Involuntary part-time work is probably 40% higher than "normal" in the US."During early 2018, involuntary part-time work was running nearly a percentage point higher than its level the last time the unemployment rate was 4.1%, in August 2000," according to Rob Valletta , a vice president in the Economic Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. "This representsThese numbers imply that the level of IPT work is about 40% higher than would normally be expected at this point in the economic expansion."Mass unemployment - the historic kind, with dole queues, unemployment benefits, and idle workers on street corners - has beenThese charts show how part-time work has ramped up in the UK over the last decade.25% of all British workers are currently only working part-time.Part-time work has increased, as a portion of all work, since 2006. The trend was uninterrupted by either the 2008 crisis or the economic boom that followed. Over the period, part-time work went up 16% to 8.4 million people.14.6% of all UK workers are doing "involuntary" part-time work.Business Insider has suggested previously that the part-time "gig economy" has broken a fundamental link in capitalism that was good for workers . Pay rates no longer move upward as unemployment moves downward becauseSelf-employed folks making a living on Etsy, Airbnb, or eBay know their clients instantly go elsewhere if they raise their prices by even a few pennies. Rob Valletta of the San Francisco Fed agrees : "The amount of IPT [involuntary part-time] work and informal 'gig' economy jobs tend to move in tandem at the state level."


sottnet--2019-05-03--US unemployment rate falls to lowest level since 1969

The economy added a healthy 263,000 jobs in April, firmly beating analyst expectations of 190,000, according to Friday's monthly snapshot from the Department of Labor.Wall Street reacted positively to the jobs report, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 160 points at market open on Friday.The nation's unemployment level fell to 3.6 percent, the lowest since December 1969, and average hourly earnings grew by 0.2 percent, for an annual gain of 3.2 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.While some of those job gains can be attributed to government hiring of the first wave of temporary workers to carry out the 2020 Census - a number that will eventually hit 500,000 by early next year - April's figures are a firm indication that the economy remains on a robust growth track."With another strong employment report in April, we've gotten reassurance that the labor market is staying on a strong and steady course," said Steve Rick, chief economist at CUNA Mutual Group.The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday that for the third time this year it would not raise interest rates , citing inflation below its target rate of 2 percent as one of the reasons for that decision.Still, with an average of just 180,000 jobs added per month, 2019 lags behind 2018, when 225,000 jobs were added each month. February saw just 56,000 job gains - a number that was twice revised upwards by the BLS . Around 100,000 jobs must be added each month in order to balance out population growth.The retail industry continues to bleed, having lost more than 30,000 jobs in just the first four months of this year. April's figures show an additional decline of 12,000 in that sector. Construction added 33,000 jobs, health care rose by 27,000, and manufacturing gained 4,000 positions."We shouldn't expect eye-popping jobs numbers to continue throughout this year," cautioned Martha Gimbel, director of economic research at Indeed Hiring Lab.


sottnet--2019-08-13--Russian lawmakers look to 4-day work week to decrease unemployment

A shorter work week will give Russians extra time for their families and to pursue their interests, without losing any pay, a senior lawmaker says. The measure is also expected to reduce unemployment.The ruling United Russia party supports the idea of adopting a four-day work week, the deputy speaker of the parliament's lower house, Andrey Isayev, said on Tuesday.The four-day work week was previously suggested by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and endorsed by the nation's largest union group, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions.The senior lawmaker noted that the implementation of the four-day work week has to be "gradual" so that companies and workers can adjust. Work on the bill is expected to start next month.


sottnet--2019-10-03--Police and protesters clash in Iraq as rallies against corruption unemployment spread nationwide

Police and protesters clash in Iraq, as rallies against corruption & unemployment spread nationwide

Two decades of war - the US invasion, years of sectarian violence, and the emergence of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) - have taken a heavy toll on the economy and infrastructure of Iraq, leaving many people lacking the most basic services, such as access to water.  Seven people have been killed and over 200 injured, as Iraqi security forces crack down on protests. Demonstrators angry over corruption and unemployment put a government building on fire in one of the cities.Iraqi counter-terrorism troops opened fire on protesters with live ammunition and tear gas outside Baghdad airport on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report. The crowd had apparently been trying to storm the airport, prompting the heavy-handed response.Elsewhere in the country, seven people have been killed and more than 200 injured in clashes with security forces this week.Gunfights broke out in Nassiriya and across the country's impoverished south as demonstrators torched government buildings and demanded an end to Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's year-old government., and blocked roads with burning tire barricades.Wednesday's protests came after a similar day of rage in Baghdad on Tuesday. Around 3,000 people gathered in the city's streets then, clamoring to enter the fortified 'Green Zone', home to government buildings and foreign embassies. Police deployed water cannons, stun grenades and tear gas in an effort to quash the demonstrations.Mahdi responded by convening an emergency meeting of the National Security Council on Wednesday and placing military units on high alert. "The council affirms the right to protest, freedom of expression, and the protesters' legitimate demands, but at the same time condemns the acts of vandalism that accompanied the protests," the council said in a statement.The government has struggled to contain the spread of unrest. Curfews have been introduced in the southern cities of Nassiriya, Amara and Hilla, and internet access has been cut off across much of the country, according to one NGO.General political instability, the emergence of various militias formed to supposedly fight the terrorists, as well as rumored high-profile corruption, have also become pretexts for the protests.


talkingpointsmemo--2019-05-03--Unemployment Fell To 36 Percent In April Lowest Its Been In 50 Years

Unemployment Fell To 3.6 Percent In April, Lowest It’s Been In 50 Years

The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in the month of April, dropping the unemployment rate to 3.6 percent, the Labor Department said on Friday.  That’s the lowest unemployment rate the U.S. has seen since 1969. For the past year, unemployments rates have been at or just below 4 percent.  The average hourly earnings rose six cents in April as well, to $27.77, adding to a five cent increase in the month of March.


talkingpointsmemo--2019-07-05--June Jobs Report 224000 Jobs Added Unemployment Up A Smidge

June Jobs Report: 224,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment Up A Smidge

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, 224,000 jobs were added in June, well exceeding analysts’ expectations.  The unemployment rate inched up from 3.6 percent to 3.7 percent, but is still hovering around record lows, per the Washington Post.  The report seems to be at least a temporary balm to forecasters’ fears that a lackluster May performance indicated an economic slowdown.


tass--2019-09-04--Hainan fights unemployment by providing labor to the south of mainland China

HAIKOU, September 4. /TASS/. The Hainan Province intends to eliminate unemployment and poverty by organizing trips for farmers during which they can earn money and get training in the neighboring economically developed province of Guangdong. According to www.hinews.cn, staff offices of fifteen Hainan cities and counties have been set up in mainland China.  According to the publication, in January-August, the Hainan authorities sent about 100,000 rural residents for seasonal jobs, about 10% of farmers went to the neighboring region. According to statistics, almost 80% of poor rural residents choose Guangdong province, where they get an opportunity to provide for their families financially.  "In the future, Hainan's employment agencies plan to boost cooperation with government bodies and companies in the region, to create a thorough working mechanism that will become a "bridge" for sending workers to work in Guangdong," said Xu Jufen, deputy head of the Human Resources Department of Hainan Province .  According to the official, one of the important features of this project is that workers with initially low qualifications will be able to master a number of specialized professions. Thus, there will be more skilled technical personnel on the island.  According to official statistics, Guangdong ranks first among all Chinese regions in terms of gross regional product (GRP), not taking into account the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, as well as the Chinese island of Taiwan. In the first six months of 2019, the figures exceeded 5 trillion yuan (more than $706 billion at the current rate). At the same time, Hainan holds the 28th place among China's 31 administrative-territorial units - its GRP for the same period exceeded 266.8 billion yuan ($37.6 billion), having increased by 5.3%. Exactly one third of this volume accounts for the city of Haikou, about 13% - for the resort city of Sanya.  One of the main aims of China's development is to narrow the gap between the wealthier and less thriving provinces of China. The seasonal labor exchange program is being implemented primarily with due regard to the relevant plan. It is expected that the said program will help to accelerate the process of creating an advanced free trade zone on Hainan.


theblaze--2019-01-04--December jobs report Employment up significantly unemployment rate up slightly as more people ente

December jobs report: Employment up significantly; unemployment rate up slightly as more people enter labor force


theconservativetreehouse--2019-04-05--March Jobs Report 196000 Jobs Gained Unemployment Rate Remains 38 Wage Growth 32

March Jobs Report – 196,000 Jobs Gained, Unemployment Rate Remains 3.8%, Wage Growth 3.2%….

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the March employment report earlier today showing strong job growth of 196,000 with the unemployment rate remaining 3.8%.  Also, in March, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 4 cents to $27.70, following a 10-cent gain in February. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.2 percent.  The employment result was stronger than most analysts predicted; and comes amid stronger home sales and higher manufacturing numbers.  The economy is strong, balanced and shows no signs of weakness.  January and February were also revised upward by 14k.  The strong March (+196k) makes the weak February report (+33k) look like an outlier.  Using January (+312k), the three-month average is now 180,000 jobs gained.  The March employment report has become the latest in a series of better data this week, including stronger home sales and a pickup in ISM manufacturing activity. Recession fears have been fading as economists have been nudging up their expectations for GDP growth, with some seeing over 2% in the first quarter from earlier forecasts closer to 1% or lower. “The demise of the U.S. economy has been greatly exaggerated,” said Ward McCarthy, chief financial economist at Jefferies. McCarthy said this year’s first quarter is following the pattern of typically weaker growth at the start of the year followed by a rebound. (read more)  Wage growth is 3.2% nationally.  There are multiple regions -and multiple job sectors- where wage gains are much higher. With inflation hovering around 1.0 to 1.5 percent, real disposable income is higher for all workers.  This is helping to fuel the retail sales sector gains; people are buying more stuff.


thedailycaller--2019-07-05--June Jobs Report 224000 Jobs Added Unemployment At 37 Percent

June Jobs Report: 224,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment At 3.7 Percent

The U.S. economy added 224,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate slightly increased to 3.7 percent, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.  224,000 jobs were added in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, about double the number economists predicted.  The number of adults working or looking for work remained steady at 6 million, according to the Labor Department. The Labor Department reports that employment growth has averaged 172,000 per month thus far this year, compared to 223,000 a month in 2018.  Economists predicted the economy would add 165,000 jobs and the unemployment rate would remain at about 3.6 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal. (RELATED: Unemployment Claims Hit 50-Year Low)  The June figures come on the heels of May’s job report that revealed unemployment steadily showing the lowest numbers in 50 years. The U.S. economy added 75,000 jobs in May, while the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent. Economists had predicted 180,000 jobs would be added and that wage growth would rise to about 3.2 percent.  Job growth has come back strong after February, when just 33,000 jobs were added.  The unemployment rate has held steady between 4 percent and 3.7 percent for more than a year before the April jobs report showed it drop to 3.6 percent. Prior to April’s report, the consistent unemployment rate suggested that workers are jumping back into the workforce to fill open jobs, rather than the workers who are currently collecting unemployment welfare, according to WSJ.  Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


thedenverpost--2019-01-15--Federal shutdown accounts for 20 percent of unemployment claims in Colorado

Federal employees in Colorado are filing for unemployment benefits by the hundreds — accounting for about 20 percent of unemployment claims filed statewide since the partial U.S. government shutdown began.  As of Monday morning, the state had received 1,834 unemployment claims related to the shutdown, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.  Still, the claims represented only a small slice of the estimated 15,000 federal workers with unfunded jobs in Colorado. They’re generally eligible for unemployment benefits because they have been furloughed or working without pay since the shutdown began Dec. 22.  Jefferson County was the hardest hit, according to the state labor department. Partly because it’s home to the Federal Center, Jefferson was the source of 22 percent of the shutdown-related unemployment claims. Next up were Larimer County with 12 percent, Denver with 11 percent and Arapahoe County with 10 percent.  Among federal agencies, the Department of Interior made up about 40 percent of the claims, followed by the Department of Agriculture with 22 percent.  The wait could be excruciating: It typically takes four to six weeks to process benefit claims. Also, workers will have to pay back their unemployment benefits if they later receive back pay from the government.  “Filing for unemployment benefits during the shutdown is a personal choice,” the department told workers in an FAQ.  The extra claims come at the “busiest time of year” for the state’s unemployment insurance division.  To make matters worse, the process usually requires the state to contact people’s employers to confirm wages. Since the employers are shut down, it’s “creating a more complex claim adjudication process that relies on documentation from the employee,” according to state officials.


thedenverpost--2019-10-19--Colorado hiring takes a holiday in September, but unemployment rate falls sharply

Colorado employers reported having fewer people on the payroll last month, while unemployment rates around the state are dropping like a rock.  One suggests coming weakness while the other continued strength in the labor market. So what is going on?  Nonfarm job counts fell by 1,900 between August and September, the first month-over-month decline measured in the state since September 2018, according to an update Friday from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.  Even more unsettling was a revision to August’s monthly gain, which was adjusted from a suspiciously high 9,000 jobs to an anemic 400 jobs. The state added a very robust 10,800 jobs between June and July, only to turn around and shed 1,500 in August and September.  “I’m not seeing any declines,” said Siobahn Moore, who heads the mountain market for Kelly Services, a staffing firm. “It is still a war for talent.”  The issue that the employers Moore works with continue to have is finding enough help, not finding ways to offload the workers they already have.  Despite the drop in payrolls, the unemployment rate, which is based on a separate household survey, fell to 2.7% in September from 2.8% in August, with 3,100 fewer people describing themselves as being without a job and actively looking for one.  That’s on a seasonally adjusted basis. Remove that filter, and the state unemployment rate fell from 2.7% to 2.2%, a decline of 15,259 unemployed workers.  Metro Denver’s unemployment rate went from 2.6% in August to 2.2% in September, while Boulder’s fell from 2.4% to 2%. Colorado Springs went from 3.2% to 2.6%, Fort Collins went from 2.3%c to 1.9%, and Greeley from 2.5% to 2%.  That’s in just one month, and it doesn’t line up with a loss of 1,900 jobs in September.  For the year, the state’s nonfarm payroll count is up by 56,900, and job growth has held steady at 2.1% the past three months.  But half of those gains are concentrated in the business and professional services sector, which is highly unusual, said Broomfield economist Gary Horvath.  Construction hiring is down the past year by 1,000 positions, while information is down by 1,300 and financial activities by 1,800. Even trade transportation and utilities, which includes retail, was trending lower in September  None of those declines, however, are large enough to be statistically significant. Horvath said the construction activity on the street suggests that a decline is unlikely there, and retail looks like it is holding.  Employers are expected to ramp up hiring for the holidays, with the U.S. Postal Service and the Gaylord Rockies hotel joining the host of retailers on the hunt for workers.  If the unemployment rate really is 2.2%, they will have trouble. If other employers are shedding workers, then they might be in luck.


theguardianuk--2019-10-16--Unemployment figures should be 3m higher, says research

Millions more people in Britain are without a job than shown by official unemployment figures, according to a study that suggests the jobless rate should be almost three times higher.  According to research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Centre for Cities thinktank, large levels of “hidden” unemployment in towns and cities across Britain are excluded from the official government statistics.  The study found that more than 3 million people are missing from the headline unemployment rate because they report themselves as economically inactive to government labour force surveys.  It said the true unemployment rate should rise from 4.6% to 13.2% of the working-age population not in education. The OECD made the estimate by creating an adjusted economic activity rate, which removes students, retirees and people caring for family.  The adjusted rate accounts for inactive people who may be willing to work or have stopped looking for work for economic reasons; such as people with health issues or a disability who could work with support, those who take care of relatives due to a lack of access to care facilities, people who have taken early retirement, and people who think there are no available jobs.  In a stark analysis of joblessness across the country, the assessment raises the total number of people out of a job who could work from the official level of 1.3 million to almost 4.5 million.  The Centre for Cities said that urban locations faced the highest levels of hidden joblessness. Liverpool had the highest rate in the country, with around one in five working-age adults not in education finding themselves out of work.  At 19.8% compared to 5.8% on official statistics, joblessness in the city ranked just ahead of Sunderland, Dundee, Blackburn and Birmingham.  All the top 10 cities with the highest adjusted economic inactivity rates were found to be outside London and the south-east, and all tended to have weaker economies. In contrast, cities across the south-east had much lower jobless rates, with Crawley recording the lowest adjusted rate of just 2%. Oxford and Exeter were also below 5%.  Andrew Carter, chief executive of the Centre for Cities, said: “It is possible that the unemployment rate in Britain’s cities is far higher than official figures suggest. This research suggests that people in cities which have struggled to recover from the deindustrialisation of the 20th century could be dealt a second blow as they are ill-equipped to respond to automation.”  A spokesperson for the Office for National Statistics, which produces the official estimates of unemployment in Britain, said its headline figures were based upon internationally agreed definitions, which includes those both looking for and available to start work.  “If the definition were widened, for example by including people not looking for work because of health problems, it would stop being a measure of spare employment capacity,” they added.

Richard Partington Economics correspondent


theindependent--2019-10-15--UK unemployment rises by 22,000 to 1.3 million as jobs market 'buckles' under pressure of

UK unemployment rises by 22,000 to 1.3 million as jobs market 'buckles' under pressure of Brexit

Unemployment rose to 1.3 million in the three months to August 2019 as the UK jobs market began to show the strain of uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the future of the global economy.  The number unemployed increased 22,000 in the quarter but declined by 49,000 compared to the same period a year ago, the Office for National Statistics said.  Wages rose faster than inflation but real pay still remains below where it was prior to the financial crisis more than a decade ago.  Howard Archer of the EY Item Club said the labour market was "buckling" under pressure from several directions.  "The latest jobs data are weaker across the board, indicating that the labour market is now undeniably faltering in the face of overall soft domestic economic activity, a weakening global economy and heightened Brexit and domestic political uncertainties."  He added: “There is evidence and reports that many employers are currently adopting a “wait and see” approach on employment given the current heightened uncertainties.  The total number of people in work fell by 56,000 over the three-month period, taking the overall employment rate down to 75.9 per cent from 76.1 per cent.  ONS deputy head of labour market statistics Matt Hughes said: “The employment rate is still rising year-on-year, but this growth has cooled noticeably in recent months. Among the under-25s, the employment rate has actually started to fall on the year.  “Pay growth continues to outstrip inflation, as it has done for over eighteen months now.  Despite the 0.1 per cent rise in unemployment to 3.9 per cent, the proportion of people jobless remains at its lowest level since the 1970s.  The number of job vacancies fell again to 813,000 its lowest to its lowest level since late 2017.  "This is further evidence that the underlying weakness in economic growth is restraining labour market activity," said Thomas Pugh, UK economist at Capital Economics.  "However, it could also be evidence that the uncertainty around Brexit is starting to impact firms' hiring decisions. The survey evidence is consistent with a further softening in employment and wage growth going forward too."


thepoliticalinsider--2019-09-06--August Jobs Report 130000 Jobs Added Unemployment Remains At 37 Percent

August Jobs Report: 130,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment Remains At 3.7 Percent

Mary Margaret Olohan on September 6, 2019  The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate remained at 3.7%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.  130,000 jobs were added in August, [according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report,](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf) about 30,000 fewer jobs than were added in July. Unemployment remained at 3.7 % — consistent with the last three months. The labor force participation rate slightly rose from 63% in July to 63.2% in August.  Economists predicted the unemployment rate would remain the same at 3.7%, [according to the Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s -employers-added-130-000-nonfarm-payrolls-in-august-11567773225), and that employers would add 150,000 jobs.  Average hourly earnings rose by 11 cents to $28.11 for nonfarm payrolls, reflecting increases in average hourly earnings rising over the past 12 months by 3.2 percent. For private sector production and non supervisory employees, the average hourly earnings rose by 11 cents to $23.59.  “Amid the volatility of financial markets seeming to mirror the rest of the world, the U.S. job market has remained a veritable pillar of stability,” said Mark Hamrick, Bankrate.com’s senior economic analyst, [to Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-august-jobs-payrolls- report-213225200.html).  “In terms of relatively stability, the upcoming August employment reading should be no exception, with the emphasis on ‘should.’ The key question is whether the U.S. economy continues to grow in the face of these headwinds.”  Job growth has come back strong after [February](https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/05/march-jobs-report/), when just 33,000 jobs [were added](https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/05/march-jobs- report/).  The unemployment rate has held steady between 4% and 3.7% for more than a year before the April jobs report showed it drop to 3.6%. Prior to April’s report, the consistent unemployment rate suggested that workers are jumping back into the workforce to fill open jobs, rather than the workers who are currently collecting unemployment welfare, according to WSJ.


thepoliticalinsider--2019-11-01--October Jobs Report: 128,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment At 3.6%

The U.S. economy added 128,000 jobs in October, while the unemployment rate rose to 3.6%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.  Despite a General Motors strike, 128,000 jobs were added in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report — about 8,000 fewer jobs than were added in September.  Economists predicted the General Motors strike would heavily impact the October jobs report, predicting that only 89,000 jobs would be added and that unemployment would rise to 3.6%, according to CNN. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% in September, the lowest unemployment rate since December 1969.  “Even though much of the expected October slowdown will likely be due to temporary factors, we don’t want to ignore the impact the trade fight is having on business job decisions,” Beth Ann Bovino, US chief economist for S&P Global Ratings, told CNN.  Economists also worried before the jobs report was released that the economy would lose jobs during October.  “Some months are just bad, while other months are just good — and usually it doesn’t matter,” Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network, told CNN.  Job growth has come back strong after February, when just 33,000 jobs were added.  The unemployment rate has held steady between 4% and 3.7% for more than a year before the April jobs report showed it drop to 3.6%. Prior to April’s report, the consistent unemployment rate suggested that workers are jumping back into the workforce to fill open jobs, rather than the workers who are currently collecting unemployment welfare, according to The Wall Street Journal.


truepundit--2019-03-09--February Jobs Report 20000 Jobs Added Unemployment 38 Percent

February Jobs Report: 20,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment 3.8 Percent

The U.S. economy added 20,000 jobs in February while the unemployment rate fell slightly to 3.8 percent, making February the 101st month of consecutive U.S. job growth.  Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected the economy to expand by 180,000 jobs and for the unemployment rate to tick down to 3.9 percent.  February’s jobs numbers follow large gains made in December and January. Data for January showed the U.S. economy added 304,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate increased to 4 percent, generally recognized as the benchmark for full employment. February’s jobs report revised January’s numbers slightly up to 311,000 jobs added.  Some economists believed the government shutdown that lasted from December to late January would result in negative jobs numbers due to the number of federal government employees that were furloughed when employment data was measured. Department of Labor researchers opted to not count furloughed employees against the jobs numbers.  December’s jobs numbers reflected growth in the U.S. jobs market of 222,000 jobs. February’s jobs report revised December’s numbers slightly up to 227,000 jobs added.Economists widely suspect a slowdown will hit the U.S. economy soon, according to WSJ, and February’s jobs numbers signal that one might be beginning to hit the U.S. after a strong year of growth in 2019.  The strongest sectors of growth in February’s jobs report are professional and businesses services, healthcare and wholesale trade employment. Wages continued to gain ground, increasing by 11 cents following a 2-cent growth in January.  Follow Tim Pearce on TwitterClick here for reuse options!  Copyright 2019 Daily Caller News Foundation  Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]


truepundit--2019-04-05--March Jobs Report 196000 Jobs Added Unemployment 38 Percent

March Jobs Report: 196,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment 3.8 Percent

The U.S. economy added 196,000 jobs in March while the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.8 percent, making March the 102nd straight month of job growth, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.  Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected that the jobs report would show solid growth by 175,000 jobs and for the unemployment rate to remain steady at 3.8 percent, well below the benchmark 4 percent that economists consider to be “full employment.”  The March jobs report comes on the heels of a slow February when just 33,000 jobs were added. Economists took February’s low number as a sign that a slowdown may be hitting the economy. The March numbers came in above economists’ expectations and much higher than the 100,000 benchmark that would have signaled employers capping growth. The March numbers suggest that the February slip may have been an isolated event rather than the beginning of a trend, according to WSJ.  The February slip came after an unusually strong performance in January when employers added 312,000 new jobs, according to revised numbers in the March jobs report.  The number of Americans claiming unemployment insurance hit a 50-year low Thursday. The Labor Department reported a drop of about 10,000 in jobless claims, bring the overall number to roughly 202,000, the lowest number on record since Dec. 6, 1969.  Follow Tim Pearce on TwitterClick here for reuse options!  Copyright 2019 Daily Caller News Foundation  Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]


truepundit--2019-05-03--April Jobs Report 263000 Jobs Added Unemployment At 36 Percent

April Jobs Report: 263,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment At 3.6 Percent

The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in April while the unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent, making March the 103rd straight month of job growth, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.  Economists predicted 190,000 jobs would be added and the unemployment rate would hold at 3.8 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal.  Jobs numbers for March were revised down from 196,000 to 189,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 50 years since December 1969, CNN reports.  Jobs growth has come back strong after February, when just 33,000 jobs were added. The U.S. economy added more than 500,000 jobs the two months prior to February.  The unemployment rate has held steady between 4 percent and 3.7 percent for more than a year before the April jobs report showed it drop to 3.6 percent. Prior to April’s report, the consistent unemployment rate suggested that workers are jumping back into the workforce to fill open jobs, rather than the workers who are currently collecting unemployment welfare, according to WSJ.  Worker productivity has jumped 2.4 percent over the past year, as measured by each worker’s output of goods and services on the job, according to Department of Labor data released Thursday and reported by The Wall Street Journal. That year-over-year growth is the highest seen since 2010.  Follow Tim Pearce on TwitterClick here for reuse options!  Copyright 2019 Daily Caller News Foundation  Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]


truepundit--2019-06-09--May Jobs Report 75000 Jobs Added Unemployment Remains at 36 Percent

May Jobs Report: 75,000 Jobs Added, Unemployment Remains at 3.6 Percent

The U.S. economy added 75,000 jobs in May, while the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.  Economists predicted 180,000 jobs would be added and that wage growth would rise to about 3.2%, according to The Wall Street Journal.  Jobs numbers for April were 263,000 jobs added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. After a decline in April, the number of persons unemployed for less than five weeks increased by 243,000 up to 2.1 million.  The May jobs report comes on the heels of April’s job report that showed the lowest unemployment numbers in 50 years. The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in April, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent. Economists had predicted only 190,000 jobs added and a continued unemployment rate of 3.8 percent.  Jobs growth has come back strong after February, when just 33,000 jobs were added.  The unemployment rate has held steady between 4 percent and 3.7 percent for more than a year before the April jobs report showed it drop to 3.6 percent. Prior to April’s report, the consistent unemployment rate suggested that workers are jumping back into the workforce to fill open jobs, rather than the workers who are currently collecting unemployment welfare, according to WSJ.  Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]


truepundit--2019-08-02--Black Youth Unemployment Falls to Lowest Level in History

In July, the unemployment rate for African-Americans between the ages of 16 and 19 fell to a seasonally adjusted 17.7 percent, the lowest rate since the government began tallying the figures in the early 1970s.  A total of 762,000 young African-Americans had jobs in July, according to the most recent data from the Department of Labor. That’s the highest number on record. The labor force participation rate climbed to 38.8, up from 36.3 a year ago. – READ MORE


truepundit--2019-09-06--The U.S. Economy Created 130,000 Jobs Created in August, Wage Growth Accelerated, Unemployment 3.7%

The U.S. economy created 130,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7 percent.  Economists had expected the economy to between 150,000 and 180,000 with the median consensus at 163,000, according to Econoday. Unemployment was expected to remain unchanged. Last month’s jobs figure was originally reported at 164,000, now revised down to 159,000, and unemployment was 3.7 percent.  Although the headline number was weaker than expected, wage growth was strong in August. Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 11 cents to $28.11, or 0.4 percent, following 9-cent gains in both June and July. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.2 percent. In August, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 11 cents to $23.59.  Unemployment among African Americans fell to 5.5 percent, the lowest level on record.  The labor force participation rate edged up to 63.2 percent in August, indicating that the strong labor market has continued to draw Americans into the workforce.  The largest job gains came from professional and business services, which added 37,000. Census hiring boosted the federal government’s hiring to 28,000 workers. Health care added 24,000 to the total while financial services increased by 15,000. – READ MORE


truepundit--2019-09-06--The US Economy Created 130000 Jobs Created in August Wage Growth Accelerated Unemployment 37

The U.S. economy created 130,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7 percent.  Economists had expected the economy to between 150,000 and 180,000 with the median consensus at 163,000, according to Econoday. Unemployment was expected to remain unchanged. Last month’s jobs figure was originally reported at 164,000, now revised down to 159,000, and unemployment was 3.7 percent.  Although the headline number was weaker than expected, wage growth was strong in August. Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 11 cents to $28.11, or 0.4 percent, following 9-cent gains in both June and July. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.2 percent. In August, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 11 cents to $23.59.  Unemployment among African Americans fell to 5.5 percent, the lowest level on record.  The labor force participation rate edged up to 63.2 percent in August, indicating that the strong labor market has continued to draw Americans into the workforce.  The largest job gains came from professional and business services, which added 37,000.  Census hiring boosted the federal government’s hiring to 28,000 workers. Health care added 24,000 to the total while financial services increased by 15,000. – READ MORE


truepundit--2019-10-04--Unemployment Falls to Lowest Level Since 1969

The U.S. economy created 136,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent.  Economists had expected the economy to between 120,000 and 179,000 with the consensus number at 145,000, according to Econoday. Unemployment was expected to remain unchanged at last month’s 3.7 percent.  The jobs data for the two previous months were also revised upward, indicating that the labor market was stronger over the summer than previously indicated. Employment for July was revised up by 7,000 from 159,000 to 166,000, and August was revised up by 38,000 from 130,000 to 168,000. With these revisions, employment gains in July and August combined were 45,000 more than previously reported.  The stronger numbers for July and August may also explain the slightly-below expectations figure for September since some of the growth in employment forecast for last month had already occurred.  The last time the rate was this low was in December 1969, when it also was 3.5 percent. – READ MORE


truepundit--2019-10-04--Unemployment for African American Men Falls to Lowest Since 1973

The unemployment rate for African American men fell to 5.4 percent in September, the lowest level since December of 1973.  The overall African American unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent. The unemployment rate for African American women aged 20 and over was 4.6 percent, up two-tenths of a percentage point from August but still near multi-decade lows.  In December of 1973, the unemployment rate for African American men briefly fell to 5.2 percent. A month later, however, it jumped up to 6.3 percent and headed steadily upward as the U.S. economy fell into recession.  Those figures include season adjustments. Without seasonal adjustment, the unemployment rate for African American men was 5.0 in September, also the lowest rate since December 1973, when it was 4.9 percent. – READ MORE


truepundit--2019-11-01--Huge October Payrolls Beat: 128K Jobs Added As Black Unemployment Rate Hits All Time Low

With Wall Street expecting the first double-digit payrolls report since May, largely as a result of over 40K GM jobs not accounted for due to the strike, and with some whispers even hinting at a negative print, moments ago the BLS surprised once again, reporting that in October, the US added 128K jobs, a huge beat to the 85K expected, with the September payrolls report revised sharply higher to 180K from 136K.  The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for August was revised up by 51,000 from +168,000 to +219,000, and the change for September was revised up by 44,000 from +136,000 to +180,000. With these revisions, employment gains in August and September combined were 95,000 more than previously reported. After revisions, job gains have averaged 176,000 over the last 3 months.  The report includes a strike-driven 41,600 decline in automaker payrolls and 20,000 temporary census workers leaving their jobs. The result of the strike led to a 36K drop in manufacturing jobs, the biggest drop since 2009, although a similar rebound is expected next month now that the GM strike is over.  The unemployment rate rose modestly to 3.6% from a half-century low of 3.5%, and in line with expectations, while the unemployment rate for blacks dropped to a fresh all time lows.  The participation rate, or share of working-age people in the labor force, increased to 63.3% as more Americans reentered the workforce. The U-6 underemployment rate ticked up to 7% from the lowest since 2000; this number reflects part-time workers who’d prefer a full-time position and those who aren’t actively looking. – READ MORE


truepundit--2019-12-10--More Black Men Have Jobs Than Ever Before, Unemployment Rate Holds at Lowest Level Ever

The unemployment rate for black men remained at the lowest level ever in November.  The economy added 266,000 jobs in the month, far more than expected. Black men over 20 picked up 14,000 of those jobs, according to Labor Department data released Friday. That matched in increase in the civilian labor force for that cohort.  As a result, the unemployment rate for black men stayed at the all-time low of 5.1 percent hit in October.  The total number of black men employed in the U.S. rose to a seasonally adjusted 9,014,000, the highest on record. The total black male civilian labor force is comprised of just under 9.5 million individuals. The labor force participation rate held steady at 68 percent. – READ MORE


windowoneurasiablog--2019-04-16--Kremlins Boost of Pension Age Seen Doubling Russian Unemployment Rate by 2024

Kremlin’s Boost of Pension Age Seen Doubling Russian Unemployment Rate by 2024

Staunton, April 16 – Many thoughtful analysts have suggested that the Kremlin’s decision to boost the pension age would ultimately have a negative impact not just on pensioners and those near pension age but on the entire population. Now, a new study says that this policy will roughly double the unemployment rate of working age Russians by 2024.  That will mean that nearly eight million Russians will be without work, a situation that will not only involve enormous suffering among them and those who depend on them but also impose significant social welfare costs on the state and possibly threaten a rise of anomic and anti-social behavior.  “Particular attention should be devoted to people of pre-pension age,” Kashepov says, “since this category is more likely to be harmed by the risk of unemployment.” But that will not be easy because using regulations to limit unjustified dismissals of people in this age cohort will have negative consequences as well as positive ones.  The economic analyst does not address the political consequences of this; but an increase in unemployment and in the threat of unemployment will almost certainly lead to greater support for left-of-center parties and perhaps will cause some in this risk group to engage in active protests against the powers that be who have led to their immiseration.  Clearly, the situation for many Russians is increasingly dire. A Gazeta article says that Russia’s poorest now lack money even for bread ( ), and a Svobodnaya pressa analysis adds that the Kremlin has left the Russian people not only with no money but with no hope either (


windowoneurasiablog--2019-11-26--Real Unemployment in Russia ‘Three to Four Times Higher’ than Official Statistics, Yardayeva Says

Official undercounts of statistics reflect not just official desires to put the best face on things but the ways in which unemployment is calculated in Russia, the journalist says. First of all, the figures the government puts out are based on surveys of those who might be employed rather than their employers. Many Russians choose not to admit they don’t have work.  Second, the official figures released on a regular basis are for unemployment of all Russians between 15 and 72, not just those of actual working age. Students among the youngest cohorts and those among the oldest are counted as employed. That boosts the employment figure and reduces unemployment at least officially.  Third, fewer than one percent of Russians make use of the government’s employment centers. The reason so few do is that “the people simply do not believe in these centers.” The amount of unemployment compensation is miserly, and the centers do little to find jobs but do require enormous amount of time from those who hope to get work through them.  Fourth, the official figures do not include what many call hidden unemployment. That exists, Yardayeva says, “when one has a job registered officially but isn’t receiving any pay. According to the most recent statistics on that, from 2015-2016, when official employment was above five percent, this form of unemployment stood at 18-20 percent.  And fifth, the official unemployment numbers do not take into account the realities of self-employment. As many as 90 percent of 15 million Russians who claim to be self-employed are not receiving regular incomes and thus are more properly termed unemployed than employed, but the government figures do not reflect that.  Thus, the best estimate of actual unemployment in Russia is 15 to 20 percent or about one Russian in six, Yardayeva says. And there are many more just above this group who have poorly paid or irregularly paid jobs who live in fear of landing among them. Putin’s words don’t reflect any of these realities.


wizbang--2019-05-05--MAGAnomics Unemployment Rate Lowest Since 1969

MAGAnomics, Unemployment Rate Lowest Since 1969

The talking heads are at a loss…  > ## Stronger-than-expected April job gains point toward solid growth, though fewer Americans are working  >  > ### By Eric Morath and Sarah Chaney, the _Wall Street Journal_  >  > WASHINGTON—The U.S. labor market showed historic strength in April, with employers hiring at a faster pace and the unemployment rate falling to a half- century low.  >  > The latest numbers, however, also raise the question of whether enough workers can be drawn into the labor market to sustain the momentum of a nearly decadelong expansion.  That “decadelong expansion” was at best anemic during the malAdministration of the faithless feckless former President, and was driven primarily by reduction in the labor participation rate.  ![](https://wizbangblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/LaborParticipation- 242x300.gif)  What we are seeing now is a resurgence of jobs in industries previously declared moribund.


france24--2019-05-20--EU elections What is it like being unemployed in Europe

EU elections: What is it like being unemployed in Europe?

Unemployment in the EU fell to 6.5% in February, its lowest level in 19 years. But this figure hides some big discrepancies between member states - particularly between northern and southern Europe. What is it like being unemployed in the Netherlands, or in Spain? How hard is it to find work in one country compared to the other? Our reporters Luke Brown and Karina Chabour went to meet jobseekers.


sputnik--2019-11-01--India’s Jobless Rates Reality: Nine Million New Unemployed over Six Years-Study

A study by Professor Santosh Mehrotra of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jajati K. Parida of the Central University of Punjab has confirmed a decline in employment rates over the years, which they linked to the country’s economic growth.  The study, which found that total employment in India has declined by nine million in six years, states: “This is the first time such a decline has been recorded in the history of independent India. Growing rates of unemployment among educated youth and the lack of quality non-farm jobs have led to an increase in unemployment.”  The decline in employment in agriculture and manufacturing and the slow growth of construction jobs have resulted in the slowing of the process of structural transformation since 2012, it adds.  About 1.5 million jobs were reported to be at risk due to sluggish auto sales and consumer demand in sectors like textiles and jewellery. The manufacturing industry, which holds job creation potential, approached stagnation with Factory production based on the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for manufacturing slipping to a two year low of 50.6 in October compared to 51.4 in September.  Although the government has focussed on improving economic conditions with a number of measures, much is left to be accomplished in regards to unemployment.  Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the government had given a push to the job market in rural areas by providing 100 days of employment in 2005.  The question arises as to whether introducing a similar scheme could be helpful as most of the job losses occurred in the agriculture sector, and demand has declined in rural areas.  Dismissing the criticism surrounding unemployment, Indian Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in September, that there were ample job opportunities, adding that North Indians lacked the skill sets to do those jobs.


theindependent--2019-02-08--Universal basic income trial in Finland fails to help unemployed people back to work

Finland’s ground-breaking experiment in basic income has failed to help the unemployed rejoin the workforce.  The two year test, saw 2,000 randomly-selected citizens who did not have jobs given €560 – about £490 – a month for two years.  Although it was guaranteed to them whether they managed to find jobs or not, it did not appear to spur the recipients on to seek work more, researchers said.  “The impact on employment seems to have been minor on the grounds of the first trial year,” Finland’s minister of health and social affairs Pirkko Mattila said.  The experiment attracted global attention when it began, as it was the first time a European nation committed to paying its citizens a monthly tax-free wage with no strings attached.  But when compared to a control group who were not receiving the basic income, the test subjects given the money, were not significantly more likely to have got back into employment.  However, they did report being happier and healthier than the control group.  “The basic income recipients of the test group reported better wellbeing in every way in comparison with the comparison group,” the trial’s chief researcher Olli Kangas said.  The experiment formed one part of a range of welfare reforms launched by Finland’s centre-right government to try and bring down the country’s high unemployment rate.  Some 6.6 per cent of Finns were out of work in December; a 10-year low, but still almost two-thirds higher than the British rate of four per cent.  Finland has now embraced a different approach to the problem, imposing tougher new sanctions on unemployed people who choose not to accept jobs while receiving benefits.  Interest in basic income has soared in recent years.  A poll in August found 40 per cent of British people supported the concept and would welcome experiments of the radical policy in their local area.  John McDonnell, the Labour shadow chancellor, told The Independent last year his party would include plans for a pilot of universal basic income in its next election manifesto.


breitbart--2019-10-31--Jobless Claims Creep Up to 218,000

Jobless Claims Creep Up to 218,000

The number of Americans filing for state unemployment benefits increased by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 218,000 last week.  Labor Department data released Thursday also revised up the previous week by 1,000 to 213,000.  Jobless claims can be volatile. To get a better gauge of the health of the labor market, economists look to the four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out the lumpiness of weekly claims. This fell by 500 last week to 214,750.


breitbart--2019-11-21--Jobless Claims Hold Steady

Jobless Claims Hold Steady

The number of Americans filing for state unemployment benefits held steady at a seasonally adjusted 227,000 last week.  Labor Department data released Thursday also revised up the previous week by 2,000 to 227,000.  Jobless claims can be volatile. To get a better gauge of the health of the labor market, economists look to the four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out the lumpiness of weekly claims. This rose by 3,500 to 221,000.  Despite being elevated above the very low levels seen earlier this year, jobless claims remain very low. They are seen as a proxy for layoffs and so the low levels indicate that employers are hanging on to workers despite a slowdown in economic growth and a slowdown in the manufacturing sector.  The strength of the labor market is a crucial factor in ongoing economic growth. Ample jobs and low levels of layoffs supports high levels of consumer confidence and consumer spending, which accounts for around 80 percent of the economy.


breitbart--2019-12-05--Jobless Claims Dive 10,000 to 203,000

Jobless Claims Dive 10,000 to 203,000

Jobless claims unexpectedly fell last week by 10,000 to 203,000.  The fall in claims indicates that the labor market remains tight and layoffs scarce. An estimate of private payroll growth from payroll processor ADP and Moody’s Analytics this week came in lower than expected this week, suggesting that job creation could be cooling.  The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 203,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The previous week’s claims figure was unrevised at 213,000.  This was the lowest weekly jobless claims number since mid-April’s 193,000, which was the low going back to 1969.  Economists had expected claims to climb to around 218,000.  Jobless claims can be volatile week-to-week. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out that volatility, fell by 2,000 to 215,750.  Jobless claims are a proxy for layoffs. The very low numbers suggest that employers are hanging on to employees even as economic growth has slowed in the second half of the year.  Thanksgiving fell during the week. Holidays can create noise in economic data, particularly jobless claims data.


drudgereport--2019-04-04--JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL TO 49-YEAR LOW

JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL TO 49-YEAR LOW...

The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a more than 49-year low last week, pointing to sustained labor market strength despite slowing economic growth.  Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 202,000 for the week ended March 30, the lowest level since early December 1969, the Labor Department said on Thursday.  Data for the prior week was revised to show 1,000 more applications received than previously reported.  Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 216,000 in the latest week. The Labor Department said only claims for California were estimated.  Claims have shown no sign of a pickup in layoffs even as the economy has lost momentum as the stimulus from a $1.5 trillion tax cut package fades. Companies are experiencing a shortage of workers, which contributed to a recent slowdown in hiring.  Job growth has slowed from last year's roughly 225,000 monthly average pace. The pace of increase, however, remains more than sufficient to keep up with growth in the working age population, holding down the unemployment rate.


fortune--2019-01-17--US Jobless Claims Fall to 5 Week-Low Despite Government Shutdown

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 5 Week-Low Despite Government Shutdown

Filings for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell to a five-week low, even amid a partial federal government shutdown.  Jobless claims declined by 3,000 to 213,000 in the week ended Jan. 12, below economist forecasts, Labor Department figures showed Thursday. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure, declined to 220,750.  The latest decline in claims, which remain near a historically low level, is in line with a tight labor market as indicated in the monthly jobs report for December. At the same time, the partial federal-government shutdown—which affects one-quarter of agencies and is now the longest in U.S. history—is likely to cause some filings to increase in coming weeks.  Initial filings by federal employees jumped to 10,454 on an unadjusted basis in the week ended Jan.5, reflecting the second week of the shutdown that’s caused the furlough of thousands of workers. That’s up from 4,760 in the week ended Dec. 29 and a previously reported 929 in the week ended Dec. 22.  Details on claims by federal employees are reported with a lag, and analysts caution that it may take more time for the closures to be fully reflected in the report.  Continuing claims, which are reported with a one-week lag, increased to 1.737 million in the week ended Jan. 5. The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits held at 1.2% for a sixth week. The previous week’s filings were unrevised at 216,000.


politico--2019-05-03--US jobless rate drops to 49-year low

U.S. jobless rate drops to 49-year low

U.S. employers added a robust 263,000 jobs in April, suggesting that businesses have shrugged off earlier concerns that the economy might slow this year and now anticipate strong customer demand.  The unemployment rate fell to a five-decade low of 3.6% from 3.8%, though that drop partly reflected an increase in the number of Americans who stopped looking for work. Average hourly pay rose 3.2% from 12 months earlier, a healthy increase though unchanged from the previous month.  Friday's jobs report from the Labor Department showed that solid economic growth is still encouraging strong hiring nearly a decade into the economy's recovery from the Great Recession. The economic expansion is set to become the longest in history in July.  Many businesses say they're struggling to find workers, yet each month they seem to add a substantial number. Some have taken a range of steps to fill jobs, including training more entry-level workers, loosening educational requirements and raising pay sharply.  Years of steady hiring have sharply lowered unemployment for a range of population groups. The unemployment rate for women fell last month to 3.1%, the lowest point since 1953. The rate for Latinos dropped to 4.2%, a record low since 1973, when the government began tracking the data.  For Asians, joblessness has matched a record low of 2.2%. And the unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars dropped to 1.7%, also a record low.  Most of last month's job growth occurred in services, which includes both higher-paying jobs in information technology and lower-paying temporary work. Manufacturers added just 4,000 jobs. Construction firms gained 33,000, mostly on public infrastructure projects.  Professional and business services, which include IT networking jobs as well as accountants and engineers, led the gains with 76,000. Education and health care added 62,000 jobs, while a category that mostly includes restaurants and hotels gained 34,000.  The brightening picture represents a sharp improvement from the start of the year. At the time, the government was enduring a partial shutdown, the stock market had plunged, trade tensions between the United States and China were flaring and the Federal Reserve had just raised short-term interest rates in December for a fourth time in 2018. Analysts worried that the economy might barely expand in the first three months of the year.  Yet the outlook soon brightened. Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the Fed would put rate hikes on hold. Trade negotiations between the U.S. and China made some progress. The economic outlook in some other major economies improved. Share prices rebounded.  And in the end, the government reported that the U.S. economy grew at a 3.2% annual rate in the January-March period — the strongest pace for a first quarter since 2015. That said, the growth was led mostly by factors that could prove temporary — a restocking of inventories in warehouses and on store shelves and a narrowing of the U.S. trade deficit. By contrast, consumer spending and business investment, which more closely reflect the economy's underlying strength, were relatively weak.  But American households have become more confident since the winter and are ramping up spending. Consumer spending surged in March by the most in nearly a decade. A likely factor is that steady job growth and solid wage increases have enlarged Americans' paychecks.  Businesses are also spending more freely. Orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting capital goods jumped in March by the most in eight months. That suggested that companies were buying more computers, machinery and other equipment to keep up with growing customer demand.  Housing, too, is rebounding after home sales had slumped in the second half of last year. Mortgage rates rose to nearly 5% last fall as the Fed raised interest rates. With the Fed now putting rate hikes on hold, borrowing costs have declined.  In February, sales of existing homes jumped by the most in three years. And in March, more Americans signed contracts to buy a house. Contract signings usually lead to finished sales one to two months later.


realclearpolitics--2019-10-08--3.5% Jobless Rate: A Long-Awaited Boom for Low-Skill Workers

We well recall when Chicagoans and many other Midwesterners suffered as America's unemployment rate surged to 10.8 percent. Rockford's jobless rate was an agonizing 25 percent. So we greet with humility and gratitude the news that the U.S. jobless rate now has dipped to 3.5 percent ― the lowest in the half-century since 1969. How long can this jobs boom last?


sottnet--2019-02-11--Finland basic income trial left people happier but jobless

Finland basic income trial left people 'happier but jobless'

What is 'basic income' and how does it work?  What is the point?  So, did it work?  What are the downsides to basic income?  So what next?  Giving jobless people in Finland a basic income for two years did not lead them to find work, researchers said.From January 2017 until December 2018, 2,000 unemployed Finns got a monthly flat payment of €560 (£490; $634).The aim was to see if a guaranteed safety net would help people find jobs, and support them if they had to take insecure gig economy work.When it launched the pilot scheme back in 2017, Finland became the first European country to test out the idea of an unconditional basic income. It was run by the Social Insurance Institution (Kela), a Finnish government agency, and involved 2,000 randomly-selected people on unemployment benefits.Universal basic income, or UBI, means that everyone gets a set monthly income, regardless of means. The Finnish trial was a bit different, as it focused on people who were unemployed.Another popular variation is 'universal basic services' - where instead of getting an income, things like education, healthcare and transport are free for all.Although it's enjoying a resurgence in popularity, the idea isn't new. In fact, it was first described in Sir Thomas More's Utopia, published in 1516 - a full 503 years ago.Miska Simanainen, one of the Kela researchers behind the Finnish study, tells BBC News that this was what their government had wanted to test, in order "to see if it would be a way of reforming the social security system".That depends what you mean by 'work'.But for many people, the original goal of getting people into work was flawed to begin with. If instead the aim were to make people generally happier, the scheme would have been considered a triumph.One participant, former newspaper editor Tuomas, pretty much summed this up when he told BBC News about how the basic income had affected him."I am still without a job," he explained. "I can't say that the basic income has changed a lot in my life. OK, psychologically yes, but financially - not so much."UBI is one of those rare issues that attracts equally strong support - and criticism - from all parts of the political spectrum.For a lot of people on the left, UBI focuses too heavily on individuals' personal wealth and buying power - or rather, their lack of it - without doing anything to stop companies wasting resources by producing far more stuff than people need, and over-working their employees in the process.Economics writer Grace Blakely makes this point in the New Socialist, adding that "without fundamental structural reforms to our economic system, UBI will only be a sticking plaster papering over the cracks".Ulrich Spiesshofer, chief executive of ABB engineering company, echoed this sentiment in 2016 when he told the Financial Times thatResearchers from Kela are now busy analysing all of their results, to figure out what else - if anything - they can tell us about basic income's uses and shortcomings.Mr Simanainen says that he doesn't like to think of the trial as having "failed".From his point of view, "this is not a failure or success - it is a fact, and [gives us] new information that we did not have before this experiment".


talkingpointsmemo--2019-01-17--Number Of Furloughed Fed Workers Seeking Jobless Aid Doubles In A Week

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of furloughed federal employees seeking unemployment benefits jumped in the first two weeks of the shutdown, topping 10,000 during the week of Jan. 5.  The Labor Department said Thursday that is double the number of federal workers who sought aid in the previous week. Typically fewer than a thousand former federal employees apply for jobless benefits each week.  Federal employees who aren’t working during the partial government shutdown are eligible to claim unemployment aid, while those working without pay are not, the Labor Department has said. Yet even those sent home will have to repay the unemployment aid if they receive back pay once the shutdown ends.  The number of Americans overall who sought unemployment benefits last week declined 3,000 to 213,000, the government said. That figure doesn’t include federal beneficiaries, who are tracked in a separate category. Applications by federal workers are reported with a one-week delay.  More furloughed federal workers could apply for unemployment benefits in the weeks ahead. The Labor Department will release data for the week ending Jan. 12, the third week of the shutdown, next week.  The shutdown that began Dec. 22 caused roughly 420,000 federal employees to work without pay. Another 380,000 are not at work and not being paid. Those numbers have shifted a bit in recent days as the IRS and some other agencies have called more employees back to work.  Applications rose last week in states with a large number of federal contractors, many of whom are also working without pay. In Washington D.C., unemployment claims rose to 2,158 from 1,190, while in Virginia they jumped to 5,966 from 3,497 and in Maryland to 4,949 from 4,467.  The overall data suggests the job market remains healthy, with few layoffs. Employers added a strong 312,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stood at a very low 3.9 percent.


tass--2019-02-07--A look back at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games

On February 7, Russia celebrates the 5th anniversary of the Winter XXII Olympic Games in Sochi. Sochi Olympics drew 2,800 athletes from 88 world countries who contested Olympic medals in 15 events in seven winter Olympic kinds of sport. The 2014 Winter Olympics were the first ones held in a CIS state since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Check out TASS photo gallery to remember this historic athletic tournament.  In other media


21stcenturywire--2019-05-20--Russia Wins Sixth Straight Game in World Championship Ice Hockey Play

Russia has now won six straight games and is currently leading Group B of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship tournament, after shutting out Switzerland 3-0 on Sunday in Bratislava, Slovakia.  According to the IIHF’s standings, Russia is the overall points leader and has allowed the least number of goals, three, of any team in the tournament to date. Finland leads Group A and is second to Russia in overall points with 17.  Swiss forward Sven Andrighetto said of Russia’s squad, “They’re definitely a highly skilled team. They work hard, they play really fast. It’s not easy to play against them.”  Russia’s scoring barrage is led by Nikita Kucherov (pictured above), who had two goals in the win over Switzerland. Kucherov plays professionally in America for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, leading the 2019 NHL regular season in scoring with 128 points.  The success of the Russian hockey team on this year’s world stage also comes with a fresh round of speculations meant to downplay its performance, SouthFront reports:  In particular, after the game with the Czech team, Czech mainstream media claimed that the Russian team drunk about 160 glasses of beer during a dinner at an Asian Iasai restaurant in Bratislava. Most of the reports were designed in a way attempting to demonstrate “non-professional” behaviour of the hockey players. The Russian side denounced these reports. This is not the first time, when the Russian team becomes a target of media over its performance. During the last World Hockey Championship, mainstream media claimed that the Russian team ordered vodka and caviar for 26 million rubles (about 401,000 USD).  Russian President Vladimir Putin recently did his part in helping to elevate his country’s hockey success by skating in the “VIII All-Russian Night Hockey League Festival” in Sochi on Friday, May 10.  Putin led his side to a 14-7 win in the exhibition match, reportedly “scoring a record 10 of the goals,” according to the Kremlin. Watch:    Russia will face-off versus Sweden in its last round-robin game on Tuesday, which could decide first place in IIHF Group B play.


birminghammail--2019-01-04--Leeds reined in again as Sheffield United the big winners - Championship odds

The new year kicked off in dramatic fashion in the Sky Bet Championship as the top three teams coming into Tuesday’s fixtures all dropped points.  League leaders Leeds United were felled by Nottingham Forest - who are now within four points of a playoff spot - while Norwich couldn’t capitalise as they were held to a 1-1 draw away to Brentford.  Sheffield United moved up to third after they recorded a 3-0 defeat over Wigan and West Brom were beaten 2-1 by Blackburn.  Meanwhile, Middlesbrough and Derby fought out a 1-1 draw at Pride Park to round out the action in the playoff spots.  So after an eventful weekend, Leeds still find themselves favourites for the title with the bookies as they come in at 5/4 after being listed as evens before the weekend’s action.  Their nearest challengers remain Norwich, who are 4/1 for the title and evens for automatic promotion, while both West Brom and Sheffield United are seen as 5/1 title challengers - a drop from 8/1 for the Blades - and 6/5 for promotion.  Here are the latest Championship odds.


birminghammail--2019-01-27--The undeniable proof that Aston Villa have the best fans in the Championship

The claret and blue faithful have continued to stick by Aston Villa during their third successive season in the Championship - and the figures prove it.  Despite the disappointment of the past two campaigns and the rocky periods in 2018-19, Villa remain one of the second tier's best supported sides.  They boast the best average attendance in the division - and highest of the season so far after a bumper crowd of 41,411 after the 3-2 defeat against Leeds United.  Here are the crowd figures in the Championship.  You can find the average and maximum attendances tables in full here.  Villa came top of the pile in the Championship last season with an average attendance in excess of 32,000 (32,097) - nearly 1,000 more than next best Leeds and only slightly down on the last campaign in the Premier League which averaged 33,690  Indeed they passed the 40,000 mark twice in the regular season - against Blues and Derby County - and once more for the play-off semi final second leg against Middlesbrough, confirming their status as top dogs in the second tier.  The official capacity is listed as 42,682 and there were plans to increase it beyond 60,000 had last season ended as everyone hoped.  Villa came very close to filling that capacity when 41,745 crammed in to see them draw with Derby on April 28.


birminghammail--2019-01-28--Warwickshires Essex Championship fixture to take place at New Road

Warwickshire's Essex Championship fixture to take place at New Road

Warwickshire's Specsavers County Championship fixture against Essex, which starts on Saturday, July 13, will take place at Worcestershire’s New Road ground.  With the World Cup taking place in England and Wales during June and July, it has been well documented the Bears will have to play at least one home championship fixture away from Edgbaston.  Warwickshire investigated the possibility of using an out-ground within the county, but with Edgbaston hosting the second semi-final on Thursday, July 11 and the reserve day scheduled for Friday, July 12, the Edgbaston staff will be required to be on-site and are therefore not available to assist in the running of a first-class match elsewhere.  The club also considered using the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground in Portland Road but it is not capable of hosting first-class cricket. Therefore, the decision was made to choose New Road.  “I’d personally like to thank Matt Rawnsley and his team at Worcestershire for agreeing to host this fixture,” said Warwickshire chief executive Neil Snowball. “We know Blackfinch New Road is always a very popular venue for cricket fans and we believe this is our best option.  “We are also mindful of the fact our members always enjoy their visits to Worcester so this chance to play a four-day County Championship match at Blackfinch New Road will hopefully be well received.”  Members from both Warwickshire and Essex , as well as Worcestershire, will be able to use the New Road facilities during the fixture free of charge and further details on pricing for non-members will be announced.  “We are delighted to be hosting five matches in the World Cup, including a semi-final, giving us the opportunity to showcase Edgbaston’s world-class facilities and unique atmosphere to the world,” Snowball added.  “We are actively exploring our options for 2020, when we know the 50-over competition is likely to be played away from Edgbaston, and we will be considering the use of out-grounds for these matches, in addition to the use of the Community Sports Ground.”


birminghammail--2019-02-12--Aston Villa West Brom Birmingham City Leeds United All this weeks Championship fixtures TV de

Aston Villa, West Brom, Birmingham City, Leeds United: All this week's Championship fixtures & TV details

It's another big week in the Championship.  Leeds United will be looking to steal a march on new leaders Norwich City when they host Swansea City on Tuesday night.  The Canaries are in action away at Preston North End on Wednesday evening.  On Tuesday, West Bromwich Albion v Nottingham Forest is the Championship main event on Sky Sports, while the other fixtures are available on the red button.  Wednesday's Championship main event is Brentford v Aston Villa, with the other fixtures on the red button.  On Sunday, Blacburn Rovers v Middlesbrough, which kicks off at 1pm, is Sky's Championship main event.


birminghammail--2019-03-14--Championship rumours Marcelo Bielsas future at Leeds United Norwich City eye Jarrod Bowen

Championship rumours: Marcelo Bielsa's future at Leeds United, Norwich City eye Jarrod Bowen

The Championship season may not be over yet but that won’t stop teams from exploring their options for the upcoming summer.  For three lucky teams, they will be looking to reinforce their squad as they prepare for Premier League football next season, while others will be hoping they can strengthen enough to make a push for promotion next year.  But it’s not just about the incomings, with many teams in the Championship knowing that they will face a battle to hold onto their biggest stars if clubs higher up the food chain come knocking.  There are plenty of rumours in the latest round-up of gossip so let’s take a look.  Slavisa Jokanovic is believed to be one of the men on the Baggies’ shortlist to take over at the Hawthorns but according to The Mirror , the Serb has yet to hear from West Brom officially.  The former Fulham boss is reportedly interested in a return to English management and Albion - who are still fourth in the Championship table - could be a perfect fit.  Preston boss Alex Neil has also been linked with the job as the Baggies are expected to make a call during the upcoming international break.  Promotion hopefuls Leeds United could soon find themselves in a similar position according to former Whites defender Danny Mills.  Leeds currently sit second in the table and are on track for a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2004, but Mills believes that Marcelo Bielsa may not be in the Elland Road home dug out next season.  Mills told talkSPORT that if Leeds do not achieve promotion this season, he expects Bielsa to either walk away or be poached by a top-flight club.  Meanwhile, Kilmarnock are hoping to bring Craig Bryson back to Rugby Park this summer, with the midfielder’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season.  The 32-year-old has been a regular in Frank Lampard’s Derby County side this season but the Daily Record report that a return to Scotland could be on the cards.  Killie are interested in re-signing Bryson - who played for them between 2007 and 2011 - as Aaron Tshibola and Youssouf Mulumbu are both set to return to their parent clubs at the end of the season.  Despite their interest, they are yet to offer a contract to their former captain.  Championship leaders Norwich City are keeping tabs on Hull City forward Jarrod Bowen ahead of their potential return to the Premier League.  The 22-year-old has scored 19 goals this season and is expected to make the step up to the top flight in the summer, with the Daily Mail reporting that Norwich and Everton have been tracking him in recent weeks.  The report also claims that Bowen turned down the chance to sign for Cardiff City in the wake of Emiliano Sala’s disappearance in January, saying: “To join Cardiff knowing that he was meant to play for them would have been incredibly difficult and not something that filled me with any enthusiasm.”


birminghammail--2019-03-14--Where will Aston Villa finish in the Championship Use our predictor tool to find out

Where will Aston Villa finish in the Championship? Use our predictor tool to find out

We're heading into the home straight. Strap yourselves in.  It's that time of year again where we give you the tools to predict the finishing positions of Aston Villa , Birmingham City and West Brom  Using our Championship promotion predictor you can predict the outcome of the remaining games affecting the race for the play-offs and promotion.  Albion and Villa know that the financial pitfalls of another season in the Championship are very much against their business plans and will be looking for every point to try and get back to the Premier League - for the latter, though, this ambition is fading fast.  Blues are above Villa in the league at the moment after a turbulent season off the pitch. On the pitch, they are doing plenty right under Garry Monk.  So who will make the play-offs? Who will sneak into the top two?  Leeds United and Norwich City are fighting with Albion and Sheffield United for the top two slots - will they get them?  The predictor gives you the chance to play out the remaining games of the season for the teams at the top end of the table.  How do you think the season is going to pan out? Use our predictor below to find out!


dailyheraldchicago--2019-11-10--Boys soccer: West Chicago wins state championship

West Chicago residents will never forget where they were the night of Nov. 9, 2019, when the Wildcats stunned Morton 2-0 to win the Class 3A boys soccer championship.  Many of them were in Hoffman Estates, jammed in the frigid stands like sardines in a can, rooting on their Wildcats as they won just the second state title in school history and the first since the football team won in 1974.  "This is the greatest feeling in the world," senior Moises Morfin said. "It's just something crazy. We did it for our town and we did it for ourselves. We talked about it since Day One and look at us now with the state title."  West Chicago coach Jose Villa, a 2006 graduate of the school, was at a loss afterward as he tried to appreciate the history that had just been made.  "It's hard to put it into words," he said. "There were tears and some yelling and screaming in excitement and some go hug our boys and celebrate with them. And there was thanking the fans that were amazing today and also obviously high-fives for the Morton players who were amazing too. It was a great game."  Morton (23-4-2) hadn't lost to an Illinois team prior to Saturday.  The Mustangs probably had the better run of play in the first half, but they had nothing to show for it. They certainly applied a great deal of pressure, but the Wildcats did what they needed to do to keep them out of the net.  "The most important thing for me was to do whatever in my power to keep my team in the game," Wildcats goalkeeper David Kuehn said. "At the end of the day, I was able to come up with some saves that definitely kept us in it."  Kuehn made 6 saves and the Mustangs kept him busy with 7 corner kicks and 10 shots overall.  West Chicago (24-2-3) wasn't as organized in the first half, so the Wildcats asked Jahir Martinez to take on more of an attacking playmaker role. It proved key to the Wildcats scoring twice and winning a championship.  "We were a little bit sloppy in the first half," he said. "They decided to put me in as our No. 10 and obviously the game changed."  Martinez connected with Morfin, who dribbled in and then showcased his amazing skills on the dribble to score what proved to be the game-winner.  "I saw their left back coming at me and did the bicycle and went left," Morfin said. "(The defender) dove for it and the other center back was coming for me, so I pretended like I was going to shoot and went back to my left and back to my right and then it was just an easy pass to the net. I just went crazy after I scored."  As did the crowd that not only filled every seat in the bleachers on both sides of the field but also stood along the fence line surrounding the stadium.  There were still almost 13 minutes remaining after Morfin scored, so the game was far from over, but the Wildcats simply would not budge. Instead, they extended their lead. Martinez blasted a shot into the upper right corner of the net with 8:03 left to play.  "Since Day One we believed we could do this," Wildcats senior defender Ben Suddeth said. "Not for a second did we doubt it. We knew coming in that Morton was going to be strong. It's a state championship. But all season long we've never given up. Today we never thought for a second we were going to go down and even if we did we knew we weren't going to lose."  Last year the Wildcats had a losing record, Kuehn was playing JV and Suddeth and Morfin were playing elsewhere. Now, they're state champions. It's nothing short of amazing.  "I think this championship brought the whole town together," Morfin said. "Not just us a group but literally the whole town and that's the greatest feeling, seeing everybody together. We did this for our town."


drudgereport--2019-01-20--NFL Championship Games Old guard vs young guns

NFL Championship Games: Old guard vs. young guns...


eveningstandard--2019-02-08--eSports Championship Series 2019 How to get tickets for SSE Arena Wembley event

eSports Championship Series 2019: How to get tickets for SSE Arena Wembley event

The eSport Championship Series is returning to the SSE Arena Wembley in 2019.  The tournament, which sees gamers battling it out for victory over the course of two days, will take place at the arena on Saturday June 8 and Sunday June 9.  Teams from Europe and North America will go head to head in the games, which are broadcast live on YouTube to millions around the world.  The grand final of the tournament will then take place at the ESports stadium in Arlington from Friday November 22 to Monday November 25.  Details have yet to be announced over which games the competitors will be playing.  Growing in popularity across the world, eSports tournaments include the FIFA eWorld Cup and the Clash Royale.  The influence of eSports has trickled into the world of traditional sports, with McLaren recently announcing their Shadow Project where they launched a search to find the world’s finest eSports racer.  Tickets for the tournament go on sale at midday on Saturday, February 9. They can be purchased here.


tass--2019-02-07--Russias Voronina wins bronze in womens 3000m event at 2019 Speed Skating Championship

Russia’s Voronina wins bronze in women’s 3,000m event at 2019 Speed Skating Championship

MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. Russian speed skater Natalia Voronina raced on Thursday to win bronze in women’s 3,000-meter event at the 2019 World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Germany’s Inzell.  The 24-year-old Russian speed skater took the bronze with the result of 3 minutes 59.99 seconds.  The gold went to Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic as she clocked the distance with the result of 3 minutes 58.91 seconds. Dutch speed skater Antoinette de Jong was second to take the silver medal with the final time of 3 minutes 59.41 seconds.  Earlier in the day, Russian speed skaters won bronze medals in women’s and men’s team sprint races.  The 2019 World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships will be held between February 7 and 10 at the Max Aicher Arena in Germany’s Inzell.  In other media


tass--2019-05-19--Russian twin gymnasts win gold in hoop and ball event at European Championships

### Arina Averina and Dina Averina  © EPA/Tamas Kovacs  BAKU, May 19. /TASS/. Russian gymnast Dina Averina has won gold in a hoop event at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku.  The 20-year-old Russian received 23,300 points. Belarusian gymnast Ekaterina Galkina grabbed silver with 21,150 points, and Israel’s Nicol Zalikman came third with 20,950 points.  Dina’s twin sister Arina Averina grabbed gold in a ball event, winning 22,850 points. Another Russian Alexandra Soldatova took silver with 22,050 points and the bronze went to Bulgaria’s Boyana Kaleyn with 21,800 points.  The Russian national team is topping the medal table. Dina Averina became a five-time European champion, while Arina Averina won the title of the six-time champion.  The European Championships in Baku will be wrapped up later on Sunday.  In other media


tass--2019-07-19--Russian synchro swimmers win gold of 2019 FINA World Championships in Team Free event

GWANGJU /South Korea/, July 19. /TASS/. The Russian national synchronized swimming team took another gold of the 2019 FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Championships in South Korea’s Gwangju on Friday in the Women Team Free discipline.  Russia wins another gold in synchro swimming at 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju  The team scored 98.0000 points, winning gold. The silver went to China (96.0333 points) and athletes from Ukraine got bronze with 94.3667 points.  The Russian winners in the Women Team Free event are: Vlada Chigireva, Maria Shurochkina, Varvara Subbotina, Anastasia Arkhipovskaya, Alla Shishkina, Veronika Kalinina, Marina Golyadkina and Polina Komar.  The Russian national swimming team is currently second with seven gold and four silver medals in the overall medal standings of the 2019 FINA World Championships after leaders China (11 golds, six silver and one bronze medal) and ahead of Germany (two gold, one silver and two bronze medals).  The 2019 FINA World Championships is hosted by the South Korean city of Gwangju between July 12 and 28.


tass--2019-09-19--Russia wins gold in Team All-Around event at 2019 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

BAKU, September 19. /TASS/. The team of Russian gymnasts won gold on Thursday in the Team All-Around event at the 2019 FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Azerbaijan’s Baku.  The Russian trio of Dina Averina, Arina Averina and Yekaterina Seleznyova was awarded by judges an aggregate of 186.500 points for their performances.  The silver was awarded to Israeli gymnasts Linoy Ashram, Yuliana Telegina, Nicol Voronkov and Nicol Zelikman with an aggregate of 174.750 points and the bronze went to gymnasts from Belarus - Katsiaryna Halkina, Alina Harnasko and Anastasiia Salos (168.550 points).  The 2019 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships is being held in Azerbaijan’s Baku on September 16-22 and also serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2020 Summer Olympics. A total of 16 Olympic licenses are at the stake in the individual all-around competitions and five in the group competition events.  The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo are scheduled to be held between July 24 and August 9 and the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games will run between August 25 and September 6.


theindependent--2019-02-08--Cycling World Championships 2023 Glasgow and Scotland chosen to host historic first event

Cycling World Championships 2023: Glasgow and Scotland chosen to host historic first event

Glasgow will host the first edition of the new-look Cycling World Championships in 2023. The city will be the focal point for the event in Scotland which will bring together 13 different cycling disciplines in one region for the first time, including the road and track world championships.  The move is the fruition of a plan by the sport’s governing body, the UCI, to effectively create a World Cup of cycling with all the world’s top riders in one place every four years, always occurring in a pre-Olympic year.  Alongside the blue-riband events like road and track world title races, the Championships will also host para-cycling, mountain biking and BMX, which will all have the prize of the world champion’s traditional rainbow jersey on the line.  Glasgow’s Sir Chris Hoy velodrome will host the track events while the wider Scotland region will also put on some of the Championships.  UCI president David Lappartient said: “The creation and the implementation of this event was one of the commitments I had made during my campaign for UCI presidency and I am proud to have fulfilled it.  “Glasgow and Scotland have a great deal of experience in the organisation of major sporting events, notably multi-sports, such as the first edition of the European Sports Championships that it organised in 2018. I am convinced that the UCI Cycling World Championships will be a great success, and I look forward enormously to preparing them with our Scottish partners.”  Glasgow city councillor David McDonald said: “Our city is one of the top five sporting cities in the world, and events like the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will help us continue to climb these rankings and realise our big aspirations. This event will be the biggest event staged in the city, and indeed the country, in the coming years – and we cannot wait to welcome athletes, officials, and spectators from around the world to Glasgow.”  Keep up to date with all the latest news with expert comment and analysis from our award-winning writers


theindependent--2019-10-13--Simone Biles wins floor and beam events to win record 25th world championship medal

American Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast in world championship history on Sunday when she won the beam and floor finals to take her career tally to 25 medals.  Soon after securing a convincing victory on the beam in Stuttgart to overtake Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s record tally of 23 world medals, the 22-year-old Biles successfully defended her floor title to win medal number 25.  The four-time Olympic champion is now the owner of 19 gold medals across four championships against 12 for Scherbo, who competed in five world events between 1991 and 1996.  Making her final appearance of the week in front of a raucous crowd, Biles wasted no time as she landed a superb triple-twisting double back flip -- known as the Biles II – on her first pass.  Biles’s double layout with a half turn -- another skill named after her -- put her out of bounds for a 0.1 penalty but she did enough to post a winning score of 15.133.  The Americans took a one-two finish as Sunisa Lee finished with 14.133 for the silver medal, while Russian Angelina Melnikova came third.  Earlier, Biles delivered a polished routine on the beam before a full twisting double tuck dismount for an impressive 15.066.  Although Biles had twice before won the world beam title, in 2014 and 2015, it has not always been plain sailing for her on the apparatus.  Her slip on the landing of a front tucked somersault at the 2016 Rio Olympics meant she had to settle for a bronze in the event. Last year again, she dropped off the beam during the women’s all-around final at the world championships.  But she has regained her swagger this week, under the watchful eyes of balance beam coach Cecile Landi, and posted top scores in all four attempts -- qualifying, the team and all-around finals and Sunday’s apparatus final.  As another title-winning score was announced in the arena, Biles punched the air in jubilation before joining celebrations with the U.S. team.  Last year’s winner Liu Tingting of China took silver with 14.433, while team mate Li Shijia won the bronze.  Biles finished her campaign in Stuttgart with five gold medals from six events to mark ideal preparations for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.  Her barnstorming run included a record fifth all-around gold as well as helping the U.S. to a fifth straight world team title.