Job Numbers Are Good!

What bad economy? The government reported today number of U.S. workers seeking new jobless benefits fell last week to its lowest in over five years. Based on this data, economists are expecting tomorrow's report from the Labor Department on employment to show a solid 200,000 gain in nonfarm payrolls for December, with the jobless rate holding steady at 5 percent. The unexpected fall in jobless claims was not the product of a particular special factor, a government analyst said, but cautioned there is often volatility around holidays. - New US Jobless Claims Hit 5-Year Low (Reuters)