Unemployment, 2010 | featured news

U.S. single-family home prices fell for a fourth straight month in October pressured by a supply glut, home foreclosures and high unemployment, data from a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday.

Vice President Joe Biden says a weak November jobs report is "disappointing" and a sign that the economic recovery is fragile.

The unemployment rate stayed flat at 9.6 percent in September, but the drop in employment was far worse than expected.

The state loses 33,500 jobs in August, the third straight month of payroll cuts. California has lost 113,100 jobs since August 2009, when the unemployment rate was 12%.

Private employers added 67,000 jobs, more than forecast, but governments shed jobs in August, the Labor Department reported.

Initial requests for jobless benefits rose last week to their highest level since April, a sign that hiring remains weak and some companies are still cutting workers. The Labor Department said Thursday that new claims for unemployment insurance rose by 19,000 to a seasonally adjusted 479,000. Analysts had expected a small drop. Claims have risen twice in the past three weeks.

Economists had expected the snowstorms to have a bigger impact, but job losses were surprisingly mild in February as employers cut 36,000 jobs.

Americans' outlook on the economy went into relapse in February. Rising job worries sent a key barometer of confidence to its lowest point in 10 months.

Economists expect the joblessness that has weighed down the nation's economic recovery will start to slowly abate in 2010, but they predict consumers will continue to keep a tight rein on spending, according to a new survey.