California unemployment rate slightly falls to 12.4%
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012After adding jobs for the fifth straight month, California saw a slight dip in the unemployment rate. Even though the jobs were added, the economists were not too happy as most of these positions were temporary. Most of these temporary hires came from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The main concern is that the private sector did not contribute to any major hiring. According to former EDD director Michael Bernick, a senior fellow at the Milken Institute specializing in labor issues, the hiring has been sluggish except for the Census Bureau.
The unemployment rate fell from 12.5 % to 12.4% in May. Payrolls grew by 28,300 jobs in California. But the private sector actually lost 1,700 jobs in May. Layoffs continue to happen. The state experienced job losses in construction, trade, education and health services sector. It is seen that many of them have been opting for part-time positions now.
The economists feel that the state’s recovery is almost similar to that of the nation’s recovery.
For more details on the unemployment claims in California, please refer to California unemployment benefits guide.
The unemployment rate of Kansas remains the same
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Kansas unemployment situation remained unaltered even in the month of May. The unemployment rate of the state is 6.3% but there are positive vibes about the economic recovery.
The Department of Labor reported that the state had gained 11,300 jobs in May. Governor Mark Pattinson felt that these were signs of encouragement. “While this growth has been slow, it has been steady and shows that Kansas is coming out of this economic recession,” Parkinson said. “Clearly we are moving in the right direction and now must focus on accelerating our progress so that all Kansans can find a job.”
There was a slight improvement in the numbers of employment in the manufacturing industry. It employed 160,100 workers in May. But the construction companies and recreational business did not have much to offer. “It’s, overall, a positive sign,” said department spokeswoman Kathy Toelkes. “It is growth, as opposed to losses.” The department acknowledged that some of the gain was due to normal seasonal hiring trends.
Another matter of concern is that the extended benefits of about 900 people are yet to arrive as the Congress is yet to pass the legislation to continue paying the extended benefits.
For more details on the unemployment claims of the Kansas state, refer the Kansas unemployment benefits guide.