US Unemployment Claims Slide To 452,000

US Unemployment Claims Slide To 45,2000

After being rattled by one of the worst financial turmoils, the US economy is on the recovery path and the pace of job cuts has come down in recent months.

The US Labor Department in a statement today said that initial claims for unemployment benefits declined to 452,000 for the week ended December 19. This is a fall of 28,000 as compared to 480,000 in the previous week.

“The four-week moving average was 465,250, a decrease of 2,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 468,000,” the statement noted.

Further, the count of people receiving jobless benefits slid by 127,000 to 5,076,000 for the week ended December 12.

In the previous week, the same stood at 5,203,000.

“The four-week moving average was 5,233,000, a decrease of 90,000 from the preceding week’s revised average of 5,323,000,” it added.

The national unemployment rate slipped to 10 per cent in November from a 26-year high of 10.2 per cent in October. Millions of jobs have vanished in the past one year, as companies trimmed their workforce to bring down costs.

-Business Standard.

‘Recovering Britney turns to flower therapy’

London, April 27 (ANI): Britney Spears has turned to gardening to maintain her physical and emotional balance, as per reports.

The pop princess, who made headlines with her public breakdowns in 2007 that also saw her hospitalised, is said to have committed herself to a self-help programme named flower therapy, based on horticulture.

The singer is allegedly determined to stick to her recovery path and is purportedly digging into books on the spiritual aspects of gardening as she tours the United States.

The ‘Toxic’ hit maker has even reportedly become a follower of lifestyle guru Jack Canfield’s self-help manual Chicken Soup For The Gardener’s Soul.

“Britney has tried every kind of therapy going. She’s studied yoga, seen numerous counsellors and even experimented with mysticism, but they’ve never been more than passing fads,” the Sun quoted a source as saying.

“This time seems different though. She’s committed to learning as much as she can about horticulture and how it impacts your well-being.

“Whenever she returns to her California home she’s straight out in the garden working. She’s very proud and knowledgeable about what she’s planted and what is growing around her house,” the source added. (ANI)