Ask for less unemployment assistance in the U.S.

BY CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing unemployment weekly allowance fell sharply for the fourth straight week, a sign that the labor market may be improving.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications fell by 29,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted figure of 343,000, the lowest in two months and the second lowest so far this year.

Applications are a representation of layoffs and declining firms indicates that fewer jobs are being eliminated. However, employers also need to accelerate hiring to lower unemployment.

Applications rose for five weeks by Sandy superstorm. However, their impact and dispersed. The average of the last four weeks, a less volatile measure, fell by 27,000 to 381,500. Before the storm had fluctuated between 360,000 and 390,000 this year.

The storm had little effect on overall hiring in November. Last month created 146,000 jobs, the government said last week. This is almost equal to the monthly average of 150,000 in the last year.

The unemployment rate fell from 7.9% to 7.7% in November, its lowest level in four years. But the decline occurred mainly because many people who were unemployed stopped looking for work. The government considers those unemployed who are actively looking for one.

The department also reported Thursday that more employers vacancies announced in October. This is an indication that hiring could rise slightly in the coming months.

But some companies could postpone hiring in December on concerns of "tax precipice", the tax increases and spending cuts that would take effect in January if lawmakers do not agree on the budget issue. If these measures came into force, economists forecast the country will fall into recession.

Read more here: # storylink = cpy http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2012/12/13/1363485/piden-menos-ayuda-por-desempleo.html