Stormy Weather: Mass Layoffs Down, Initial Unemployment Claims Up

Currently unemployment news is all over the map, with some being positive and others being negative. According to the latest reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of mass layoffs in December was down to its lowest level in almost three years. On the other hand, there were more initial claims for jobless benefits last week than most expected, and at least four states are claiming it's due to snow.

You can just imagine how the numbers from this week will look if that's the case.

Mass layoffs, which involve at least 50 people from a single employer, numbered only 1,483 and involved only 137,992 workers in December -- the lowest level since April 2008. That's 96 fewer mass layoffs than the month before. The number of associated initial unemployment claims decreased by 10,808 from November to December.