Senate Democrats unveil jobs push as first-time unemployment claims rise
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As the number of first-time unemployment claims unexpectedly rose, Senate Democrats said Thursday they have a new job-creation plan that could come to a vote as soon as next week.
“It’s a plan that will create the right conditions for the private sector to hire more people. It’s a plan for our short-term recovery and our long-term prosperity,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a televised news conference.
Reid and other top Democrats are scheduled to begin voting on their plan – outlined in a series of smaller bills – on Feb. 8. Reid said Democrats are prepared to move on the legislation even without GOP support.
The Democratic leaders didn’t give details of their plan but said it would include extended unemployment benefits and tax credits for employers who create new jobs. It will also include funding for infrastructure and some aid to financially-pressed local governments.
The House approved its own package in December, worth more than $154 billion.
Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will meet Thursday morning with President Obama to discuss jobs legislation and other issues. In his State of the Union speech, Obama called for a new push on job creation, as the nation’s average unemployment rate is around 10%.
Unemployment numbers for January are expected on Friday and will likely show a slight uptick in the unemployment rate. Most economists expect the net number of new jobs to move into positive territory in the first half of the year, but the unemployment rate is expected to remain high in this congressional election year.
The Labor Department reported Thursday morning that workers filing for first-time jobless benefits rose last week by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 480,000. The four-week average, which smoothes fluctuations, rose for the third straight week, to 468,750.
The figure is the largest in the last two months. The number of people continuing to claim benefits was unchanged at 4.6 million.
Among the states, California reported the largest drop in claims, a decline of 22,674. Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia and Missouri also reported decreases.
-- Michael Muskal
Photo: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) speaks during in a news conference on job creation in Washington. Credit: Getty Images.
