New jobs slow; unemployment drops as work force shrinks, By Catherine Rampell, May 4, 2012, New York Times: “The United States had another month of disappointing job growth in April. The nation’s employers produced a net gain of 115,000 positions, after adding 154,000 in March, the Labor Department said Friday. April’s job growth was less than economists had been predicting. The unemployment rate, which is based on a separate survey of American households, ticked down to 8.1 percent in April, from 8.2 percent. That may sound like good news, but the decline was not because more unemployed workers were hired; it was entirely because 342,000 workers dropped out of the labor force…”
Economy added 115,000 jobs in April; unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, By Peter Whoriskey, May 4, 2012, Washington Post: “The unemployment rate dropped a notch to 8.1 percent in April, the Labor Department reported on Friday, but the pace of job growth has fallen off, amid other signs that the economic recovery may be losing momentum. The economy added 115,000 payroll jobs last month, a meager showing compared with earlier this year when the jobs tally was rising at twice that rate and sowing optimism about the nation’s economic prospects. Some of the most quoted figures from the jobs report suggested good news. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent in April from 8.2 percent the month before, and the number of unemployed people declined to 12.5 million from 12.7 million. But the main reason for the decline in the ranks of unemployed is that many people decided to stop looking for work. People who have given up the job hunt are no longer counted as unemployed…”
State budget crisis threatens funding for day-care providers, families, By Dean Olsen, May 2, 2012, Galesburg Register-Mail: “A new wrinkle in Illinois’ budget crisis unfolded Wednesday when Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration said it has begun to delay payments to more than 40,000 child-care providers. The move could threaten the fragile budgets of many providers and the family finances of more than 85,000 low-income parents who receive state-subsidized child-care services. The delays could mean no more subsidy payments to many child-care providers until July 1, said Januari Smith, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Human Services…”
Illinois child care subsidies at risk; legislators search for funding, By Melissa Westphal, May 3, 2012, Rockford Register Star: “Child care services for low-income families could be in jeopardy unless Illinois legislators can scramble to find additional funds needed for a state-subsidized program. Day care providers were hit with the bad news this week when state leaders told them Illinois has essentially run out of money to pay for the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps low-income, working families find and pay for child care so parents can maintain their employment. Families share in the cost of the services on a sliding scale based on family size, income and number of children in care…”
