U.S. Watch -- WSJ
January 13 2017 - 2:02AM
Dow Jones News
ECONOMY
Jobless Claims Edge Higher to Start Year
The number of Americans who applied for first-time unemployment
benefits rose last week from near a four-decade low, but the figure
remains at a level indicating steady job creation.
Initial jobless claims, a measure of how many workers were laid
off, increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 247,000 in the week
ended Jan. 7, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists
surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected 255,000 initial
claims.
Jobless claims for the previous week were revised higher by
2,000 to 237,000. That was still the second-lowest reading since
1973.
The data indicates layoffs remain subdued despite recent
announcements from Macy's Inc., Sears Holdings Inc. and other large
employers that they are reducing staff.
"Jobless claims remain in a very constructive range and are
still evidence of an environment in which turnover is low and
employers are generally content to maintain and expand their
payrolls," said Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran
Financial Advisors.
The four-week moving average of adjusted claims, which evens out
weekly volatility in the data, fell by 1,750 to 256,500 last
week.
--Eric Morath
NEW JERSEY
New Hearing Ordered In Christie Case
A New Jersey judge reversed a municipal court's finding of
probable cause in an official-misconduct complaint against Gov.
Chris Christie that stemmed from the George Washington Bridge
lane-closure scandal.
Bergen County Superior Court Judge Bonnie Mizdol also denied a
request to dismiss the complaint and ordered a new municipal court
hearing on the matter.
Mr. Christie "was improperly denied counsel at a critical
stage," Judge Mizdol wrote. She said that at the municipal court's
hearing the citizen activist who filed the complaint was the only
witness and Mr. Christie's lawyers hadn't participated.
An attorney for Mr. Christie didn't immediately respond to a
request for comment.
The complaint, filed in September by citizen activist Bill
Brennan, accused the governor of official misconduct for failing to
order his subordinates to reopen local access lanes at the
bridge.
A Bergen County judge in October found probable cause for the
official-misconduct complaint, which allowed it to move forward.
Mr. Christie's attorneys asked the judge to dismiss it.
Mr. Brennan said Thursday the governor's attorneys "committed an
epic strategic blunder in moving to dismiss these charges."
--Corinne Ramey
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 13, 2017 02:47 ET (07:47 GMT)
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