Jobless data suggest improving employment market

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose back above 400,000 last week. Still, the average number of applications over the past four weeks fell to its lowest level since mid-April — that suggests the job market may be improving.
Separately, a report on consumer inflation showed Americans paid more last month for gas, food and clothes, pushing prices up by the most since March. A woeful manufacturing survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia was also a worry.
Its main indicator of factory activity slid to minus a near two and a half year low of 30.7 in August from a positive 3.2 reading in July. The slide suggests a recession is well and truly in prospect in the Philadelphia region — anything below zero indicates a contraction in activity.
“This was obviously a terrible report, and, if sustained, readings like these would be consistent with recession,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc.
The Labor Department says weekly jobless claims applications rose 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 408,000, the highest level in four weeks. Applications have been above 400,000 for 18 of the past 19 weeks.
The four-week average, a less volatile measure, dropped for the seventh straight week to 402,500.
Read full article here: MSNBC