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The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, hitting their lowest level in seven months, suggesting the labor market remains solid even as the economy is slowing. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 203,000 for the week ended Nov. 30, the lowest level since mid-April, the Labor Department said. Data for the prior week was unrevised. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims increasing to 215,000 in the latest week. Claims data tend to be volatile around holidays like last week’s Thanksgiving Day, which was later this year compared to 2018. This can throw off the model that the government uses to strip out seasonal fluctuations from the data. The Labor Department said no states were estimated last week. The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 2,000 to 217,750 last week. The claims data has no bearing on November’s employment report, which is scheduled for release on Friday. According to a Reuters survey of economists, nonfarm payrolls probably increased by 180,000 jobs in November, boosted by the return of about 46,000 striking General Motors (GM.N) workers. The 40-day strik...
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U.S. employers added a better-than-expected 266,000 jobs in November in a sign the economy continues to power ahead. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.5%. Job gains for the two previous months were revised up by a total of 41,000. The overall jobs number got a boost from the roughly 41,000 people who returned to work, after being idled in October by the United Auto Workers strike at General Motors. Manufacturing added a total of 54,000 jobs, even though factory activity has declined in each of the past four months. Factories — many of which rely on global supply chains and global markets — have been especially vulnerable to President Trump's trade war, as well as a general slowdown in overseas demand. The much larger services side of the economy, including hospitals and restaurants that cater to local customers, has been more insulated from global headwinds. Service sector jobs accounted for the lion's share of the November gains with 206,000 jobs added. Wage gains accelerated slightly with average wages rising 3.1% over the past 12 months. Labor force participation dropped slightly, contributing to the drop in the unemployment rate. Source: Capitol Public Radio
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There are a few new and significant 2020 California employment laws that employers need to be aware of, as they may affect daily business operations, policies and employees. Of the 2,625 bills introduced in the Legislature this year, 1,042 bills reached Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. He signed 870 and vetoed 172—and many of those signed will affect California employers. Some bills made significant changes to California employment law, such as the much-publicized independent contractor bill, AB 5. Others made small but important changes of which employers must be aware, such as those changing the mandatory harassment prevention training deadlines. The Governor vetoed several California Chamber of Commerce-opposed bills, including AB 589, which would have created overly burdensome requirements for employers to post and provide employees with a “Worker’s Bill of Rights,” among other things. The Governor also vetoed SB 218, which would have amended the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to allow local governments in Los Angeles County to enact their own anti-discrimination ordinances similar to the FEHA, creating uncertainty, inconsistency and confusion regarding the FEHA’s application and interpretation. The white paper summarizes new laws in: • recruiting and hiring; • discrimination, harassment and retaliation protections; • leaves of absence and benefits; • workplace safety; • arbitration; • privacy; and &bull...
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California’s minimum wage is moving to $13 an hour in 2020. The new minimum wage goes into effect Jan. 1, and applies to employers with 26 or more employees. Employers with fewer than 26 employees will have to pay a minimum wage of $12 an hour. 2020 marks the fourth consecutive year that the minimum wage has increased in the Golden State, as California moves toward a goal of a $15-an-hour minimum wage for large employers by 2022 and for all employers by 2023. Several municipalities in California have their own minimum wage that exceeds the state’s, according to the UC Berkeley Labor Center. Those municipalities include: Alameda ($15 an hour on July 1, 2020) Belmont ($15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020) Berkeley ($15.59 an hour and indexed to inflation on July 1, 2020) Cupertino ($15.35 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020) Daly City ($13.75 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020) El Cerrito ($15.37 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020 Emeryville ($16.42 an hour and indexed to inflation on July 1, 2020) Fremont ($13.50 an hour for small employers and $15 an hour for large employers on July 1, 2020) Los Altos ($15.40 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020) Los Angeles ($14.25 an hour for small employers and $15 an hour for large employers on July 1, 2020) Los Angeles County ($14.2...
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