American workers, who first applied for the unemployment benefit, rose for the third time in four weeks. According to reports from the Labor Department, in the week ending May 25, initial requests grew by 10 units, to 354. Analysts were expecting a figure down to 340 units. The previous week's figure was revised up from 340k to 344k.
As for the American gross domestic product, grew by 2,4% in the first quarter, after the +2,5% of the preliminary estimate. This is the first revision released today by Washington: the final data will arrive next month. The numbers are in line with analyst estimates. In the fourth quarter, GDP had grown by 0,4%, while for the whole of 2012 the growth had been 2,2%.
Returning to unemployment benefits, the average of the last four weeks, more reliable as it is not subject to market fluctuations, increased by 6.750 units, to 347.250. The figure, which has moved away from its lowest in five years, remains below 400 units, a threshold which according to analysts signals a stalemate.
The total number of workers receiving unemployment benefits for more than one week – relating to the week ending May 18, the last for which data is available – rose by 63 to 2.986.000. The unemployment rate for uninsured workers remained unchanged at 2,3%.
