"The More or Less Than Expect" Do Not Alter the Cycles

Let the media play the "more or less than expected" game with daily fluctuations in the stock market. Today's average weekly jobless and continuing claims fall within the cycle trends.

Average Weekly Initial Claims State Unemployment (AWIC) And YOY Change:


Average Continuing Claims State Unemployment (ACC) And YOY Change:


The trend line breaks in announced layoffs suggest that the pressure is building for a 2011-2012 turn.

Challenger, Grey, and Christmas Announced Layoffs (ALO) And YOY Change:


Headline: Jobless claims increase more than expected

More Americans signed up for unemployment benefits last week, but the broader trend in layoffs points to a slowly healing jobs market.

The Labor Department says new claims for unemployment aid rose last week by a seasonally adjusted 26,000 to 436,000. The previous week's claims were revised up slightly to show applications had tumbled by 31,000 to 410,000. The figures are often volatile during the weeks around the Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving holidays.

Source: finance.yahoo.com