May 19- The beginning of the end of the Federal Reserve's massive bond-buying program might come sooner than many investors think if recent gains in the U.S. labor market do not prove fleeting.
WASHINGTON, May 17- Unemployment rates dropped in 43 out of the 50 U.S. states and in the District of Columbia in April from a year before, according to Labor Department data released on Friday. A handful of states, including Illinois, Delaware, Indiana, Wisconsin, Mississippi and New Hampshire saw their jobless rates rise over the year.
MONTPELIER, Vt.-- Vermont's unemployment rate continues to decline. In the state's 17 local labor market areas, the non-seasonally adjusted rates for April ranged from 2.9 percent in the Hartford area to 7.3 percent in Newport.
ATLANTA-- Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 percent in April, state labor officials said Thursday. The figure is down from 8.4 percent in March, and 9.1 percent a year ago, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. Georgia's unemployment rate is now the lowest it has been since December 2008, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said.
May 16- New Jersey's unemployment rate dropped to 8.7 percent in April and personal income tax collections rose 29.1 percent to $2.23 billion from the same month last April, state data show.
NEW YORK/ LONDON, May 16- Brent crude oil futures rose on Thursday on dollar declines, but gains were capped by a stall in the U.S. equity market as a jump in U.S. jobless claims stoked investor worry about an economic recovery.
ST. PAUL, Minn.-- Minnesota companies are in for a break in their state unemployment insurance tax rates. A budget bill approved Wednesday in the House would temporarily chop the rates to produce savings to businesses of $346 million over the next two years. The bill, which the Senate is poised to pass Thursday, also cuts an additional assessment on businesses.
NEW YORK, May 16- U.S. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped by 32,000 to a seasonally adjusted 360,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday- the biggest jump since November.
LONDON, May 16- Brent oil futures climbed above $104 on Thursday, responding to dollar declines, while a jump in U.S. jobless claims capped gains as they added to the bearish demand outlook.