Labor Department

U.S. supplier price increases eased in November from rapid gains in the first half of the year, in a sign that inflationary pressures could be moderating. The producer-price index, which generally reflects supply conditions in the economy, rose 7.4% in November from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Friday. That was down from October’s revised 8.1% increase and well below the 11.7% rise in March, the fastest pace since PPI records began in 2010. On a monthly basis,…

U.S. unemployment filings rose slightly last week, a sign the labor market remains tight despite layoffs at some companies and broader economic uncertainty. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, rose by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 230,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was near the 2019 weekly average of around 218,000 when the labor market was also robust. Continuing claims, which reflect the number of people seeking…

Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week, consistent with a labor market that remains resilient despite signs of a broader economic slowdown. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, decreased by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 225,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was near the 2019 weekly average of around 218,000, when the labor market was also robust. The level of claims remains in line with job growth and low unemployment.…

Filings for U.S. unemployment benefits increased last week but stayed relatively low, the latest sign that the labor market remains on solid ground. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased by 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 240,000 last week, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That is close to the prepandemic 2019 weekly average of 218,400, during the similarly strong labor market that prevailed before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The four-week moving average…

Easing supply-chain pressures mean American consumers can look forward to their first normal holiday season in three years, industry executives and analysts say. They project full store shelves—and even deals—as retailers work through gluts in product categories from toys to furniture.“The script has been flipped,” said Steve Pasierb, president of manufacturing group The Toy Association. “From a supply-chain standpoint, it’s the opposite of last year.”…

Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, decreased by 4,000 last week, the Labor Department said. Photo: Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress/Corbis/Getty Images…

U.S. supplier price increases slowed in October for the second straight month, a sign inflation pressures could be abating. The producer-price index, which generally reflects supply conditions in the economy, climbed 8% on a 12-month basis in October, the Labor Department said Tuesday. That marked a slight easing from September’s revised 8.4% increase, and was down sharply from the 11.7% increase in March, the highest since records began in 2010.…

Dozens of minors, some as young as 13, were illegally employed to clean meat-processing plants in Minnesota and Nebraska, federal authorities said. The Labor Department filed a federal complaint in Nebraska asking for a nationwide temporary restraining order and injunction against Packers Sanitation Services Inc., a food-safety company that provides contract sanitation services, over the allegations.  U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard, of the District Court of Nebraska in Lincoln, issued…

U.S. worker filings for unemployment benefits rose last week but remained near historically low levels, in a sign many employers continue to hold on to their employees. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased by 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 225,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That is close to the prepandemic 2019 weekly average of 218,000, when the labor market was also strong. Claims remain low despite some recent corporate layoff and…

Several large tech companies are cutting jobs, while employers overall are still adding them at a strong clip, contributing to other apparently mixed signals about the U.S. labor market. Both trends can coexist as companies make different staffing decisions in a cooling economy and as the government tries to track the changing picture. Tech companies’ fresh batch of layoff announcements this week followed layoffs over the summer by other tech firms amid rising interest-rate…