DENTON=20
(UNT), Texas =96 According to government reports the =
number of=20
Americans filing first time claims for unemployment =
benefits=20
fell to 550,000 last week from 588,000 the week=20
before.
University=20
of North Texas economist Dr. Terry Clower says that =
the new=20
numbers by themselves don=92t indicate economic =
strengthening.=20
He says that jobless claims have been volatile in =
recent=20
weeks, and that this week=92s decrease could be =
attributed to a=20
number of factors.
=93It=92s=20
possible that more people lost their jobs last week =
than the=20
report would indicate,=94 says Clower. =93Many =
people may=20
just have put off filing for unemployment. =
It=92s vacation=20
season; people may be out of town and planning to file =
when=20
they get back next week.
Clower=20
says that when looking at economic recovery a number =
of=20
factors need to be considered, and that some of those =
other=20
indicators continue to be=20
misleading.
=93The=20
retail sector is still showing indicators of weakness, =
and=20
though the stock market has had a recent surge, I =
believe that=20
the increases reflect businesses cutting costs rather =
than=20
bringing in increased revenues,=94 says =
Clower.
Clower=20
says that although economists and consumers hope that =
the=20
decrease in new jobless claims is the beginning of a =
trend,=20
indicators show that the labor market will continue to =
be weak=20
for the remainder of the year, and then start =
strengthening=20
during the first quarter of 2010.
Clower is=20
the associate director of UNT=92s Center for Economic=20
Development and Research.
=A9 Copyright 2002-2006 by North =
Texas=20
e-News, llc
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