Unemployment rolls have shrunk by 30%

The news that weekly claims last week were a little higher than expected is relatively insignificant (actual claims are flat over the past 3 months), and is greatly overshadowed by the ongoing decline in the number of people receiving unemployment insurance. Since early last year, the unemployment rolls have shrunk by about 30%, from 11.5 million to just under 7 million, and this is a trend that should continue. What this means is that more people are finding work, and more people are facing increasing incentives (having lost their benefits) to find and accept jobs.