| Credit & Debt | Personal Finance | Economic Crisis | Housing Market | Employment Trends | Expert Insight |
Subscribe  Print 
|
||
Though unemployment remains level, some consumers may still be concernedHowever, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently presented figures that could be a bit of good news, if only for the short term. According to the bureau, the unemployment rate sat at 10 percent in December, which means it remained unchanged from the level seen in November. Though it remained statistically unchanged, the economy did lose 85,000 jobs during the month. Areas that saw declines included construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade. Hilda Solis, secretary of labor, said that the reported numbers indicate that the nation still has work to do in order to create employment opportunities. However, she also said that the economy has made progress in the face of recession. "We met this challenge head on through the Recovery Act - putting a plan in place designed to create jobs and drive economic growth through a combination of tax relief for individuals and businesses, aid to hard-hit families and state and local governments, and funding for science, technology and infrastructure projects across the country," Solis said. Unemployment, or the threat of it, has been shown by many recent surveys to be a major concern for consumers, which in turn makes it one of the keys for the prospect of businesses feeling some sort of relief. Though funds from the government may help some, merchants need Americans to spend in order to start gaining ground. The irony, of course, is that for unemployment to improve, businesses have to feel more confident in their economic prospects in order to justify hiring more workers. That may not happen until consumers feel comfortable about the employment situation.
|
||
