The surge in unemployment gift to the United States signs of weakness.

The dominant U.S. service sector improved in August, business productivity also increased in the second quarter, but the signs of labor market weakness overshadowed other data, many people reported August retail sales also slipped, adding to the economy may further weaken .concerns. .<P Style=MARGIN: 0px> </ P> <P style=MARGIN: 0px align=center> job market continue to weaken </ P> <P> (http://finance.) According to Labor Department data released on .The number of weeks of unemployment Jinxin Shen Please unexpected increase after falling for three consecutive weeks, 1.5 million, to 44.4 million. .Analysts had estimated that there will be around even decline, the number is expected to fall to about 42 million people. .</ P> <P> four-week average of new applications, although a slight reduction in the number of 3250 people, to 43.8 million, but the number is still high. .Economists generally believe that the number of new applications for more than 40 million people, would mean that poor economic conditions. .In addition, the number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits increased 6,000 over the previous week, to about 344 million people. .</ P> <P> U.S. unemployment rate reached 5.7% in July, a new high of more than four years. .5, the Labor Department employment report will be released in August, generally expected to work the first eight months of consecutive decline will occur, while the unemployment rate continues to rise. .</ P> <P> the employment status of poor people is bound to affect consumption; and private retail sales figures were released the same day also showed that recession in U.S. consumer preferences, promotional discount cheap shops, and reduce non-essential expenditure. .</ P> <P> stimulated by the new school term, sale, daily necessities and clothes cheap Wal-Mart August same-store sales growth of 3%, exceeding the expected growth of 1.6% or so. .Costco discount stores grew by 9%, but lower than the expected 9.6%; removal of gasoline sales grew 6%. .</ P> <P style=MARGIN: 0px> Wal-Mart's rival Target store in August same-store sales fell 2.1%. .Some widely popular among young people clothing brands such as Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as high-end boutiques such as Saks sales are down. .</ P> <P style=MARGIN: 0px> </ P> <P style=MARGIN: 0px align=center> firmly in control of business costs </ P> <P> U.S. Labor Department released a separate report, .ring the second quarter non-farm productivity rose a revised annual rate of 4.3%, forecast to rise 3.5% to 2.2% initial value. .Measure of hourly output per worker productivity report, the company firmly by streamlining the staff to control costs. .The Fed closely watched measure of inflation and profit pressures of the indicator - the second quarter unit labor costs fell 0.5%. .</ P> <P> Overall, increased productivity, encouraging, analysts said, because this inflation under control and help businesses profit in the occasion of soaring costs, but it does reflect the severe economic conditions. .</ P> <P> "We do not have to worry about wage spiral, but we do have to worry about consumer purchasing power," an analyst at FTN Financial in New York, said Christopher Low, "As credit conditions, purchasing power in the rest of the year and next year will be a practical .the problem. "</ P> <P align=center> industry struggling </ P> <P> overall non-farm productivity rose strongly in contrast to the manufacturing sector fell in the second quarter, focused on the production of durable goods .areas, including the struggling auto industry. .</ P> <P> the second quarter, manufacturing productivity to drop 2.2%, the largest quarterly decline in 19 years, compared with the first quarter increased by 3.3%. .Manufacturing output also fell 3.7%, the biggest drop since the fourth quarter of 2001, was produced before the terrorist attacks caused a sharp drop. .</ P> <P style=MARGIN: 0px> At the same time, ADP private employment report reflects the difficult industry, because manufacturing job losses higher than the number of service sector employment. .In addition, including manufacturing, construction and mining industry as a whole, including the production employment in August was recorded 21 consecutive monthly decline. .This economy has been housing construction and related business conditions fell sharply impact seems to be consistent. .</ P> <P style=MARGIN: 0px> </ P> <P style=MARGIN: 0px> However, non-manufacturing sector has improved. .Institute for Supply Management (ISM) announced in August non-manufacturing index rose to 49.5 from July's 50.6, the data above 50 means expansion. .ISM report showed the service sector to reduce inflationary pressures, but the employment picture deteriorating. .</ P>.