House panel investigates
By Richard Simon
(The Los Angeles Times) Reporting from Washington – Hundreds of new jobs in phantom congressional districts. Nearly 500 new teaching slots in a Chicago school district that employs only 290.
As the White House tries to show that its massive stimulus package has created or saved 1 million jobs, media outlets and critics have contended that some of the administration’s numbers are faulty.
On Thursday, a congressional committee tried to sort out the questions: Are the flawed data the result of Democratic spin meant to show that President Obama’s economic policies are working? Or are they … Continue Reading
(The Ticker – The Washington Post) Each month, as regular readers know, I like to unpack the new unemployment number and get behind the data. The news this month continues to be grim. Indeed, it is climbing rapidly toward record-grim territory.
The official U.S. unemployment rate in October rose to 10.2 percent from 9.8 percent in September, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
But the truer measure of unemployment — a total count of everyone who should be working full time but is not — hit 17.5 percent in October, the highest level in modern times.
The official unemployment number … Continue Reading
CalChamber Keeps California Companies Competitive; New Partnership With ETP Will Facilitate Training for Thousands of Employees Statewide
The California Chamber of Commerce and the Employment Training Panel (ETP) have joined forces in a newly announced partnership that will result in customized job skills training programs for members’ employees throughout the state.
“In this difficult economy, California employers need to have access to training that will improve the skills and productivity of our workforce and help keep our state’s companies competitive,” said Allan Zaremberg, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce. “Our partnership with ETP will help employees, employers and our … Continue Reading
By HOWARD FINE
(The Los Angeles Business Journal) One-third of L.A. County businesses anticipate cutting their payrolls next year, more than double the 14 percent rate for the current year, according to a business survey released Tuesday.The findings by the Los Angeles County Business Federation survey come even as Los Angeles County’s unemployment rate jumped in September to a modern record high of 12.7 percent amid the recession.
The survey also found that lack of available credit, the state budget deficit and rising workers’ compensation costs were the top concerns of the 455 county businesses surveyed late September and early October. That’s … Continue Reading
By HOWARD FINE
(Los Angeles Business Journal) L.A. County’s unemployment rate jumped in September to yet another modern record high of 12.7 percent as the county’s tourism and film industries took significant job hits.September’s 12.7 percent unemployment rate was up from 12.2 percent in August and 8.3 percent in September 2008; over the past year, more than 210,000 county residents have joined the ranks of the unemployed.
Statewide, the unemployment rate was 12.2 percent in September, down slightly from 12.3 percent in August but up from 7.8 percent a year ago. Nationally, the unemployment rate hit 9.8 percent in September.
Yet the county … Continue Reading
