Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 63 million Americans will increase 1.5 percent in 2014, the Social Security Administration announced The 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 57 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2014. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2013. Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $117,000 from $113,700. Of the estimated 165 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2014, about 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum. Information about Medicare changes for 2014 is available at www.Medicare.gov |
31 October 2013
• Social Security Announces 1.5 Percent Benefit Increase for 2014
• U.S. Real* Earnings – September 2013 [Inflation, wages, pay, salaries]
|
Real average hourly earnings for all employees were unchanged from August to September, seasonally
adjusted. This result stems from a 0.1 percent
increase in average hourly earnings being offset by a 0.2 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index
for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
Real average weekly earnings decreased 0.1 percent over the month due to an unchanged real average hourly earnings and an unchanged average workweek.  The increase in real average hourly earnings, combined with an unchanged average workweek, resulted in a 0.9 percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period. Source: USDOL-BLS *Note: Real earnings show the effect of inflation on your pay. If your salary went up by 2.1% over the year while the cost-of-living (CPI-U) rose 1.2%, then the “real” value of your salary rose by 0.9% [differences in some of the data are due to rounding and seasonal adjustment]. The figures reported here are earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted. Click on chart to enlarge |
• U.S. Consumer Price Index – September 2013
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased
1.2 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 234.149
(1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.1 percent prior
to seasonal adjustment.
 The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 1.2 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index increased 0.1 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please note that the indexes for the post-2011 period are subject to revision.  Click on either chart to enlarge See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS |
• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims – 26 October 2013
[Jobless]
In the week ending October 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 340,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 350,000. The 4-week moving average was 356,250, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 348,250: The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending October 19, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending October 19 were in Puerto Rico (4.4), Alaska (3.9), Virgin Islands (3.4), New Jersey (2.9), California (2.7), Connecticut (2.7), District of Columbia (2.6), Pennsylvania (2.5), Nevada (2.4), Illinois (2.3), New York (2.3), and Oregon (2.3). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 19 were in Kentucky (+96), Maine (+49), Delaware (+45), Minnesota (+39), and North Dakota (+32), while the largest decreases were in California (-13,033), Pennsylvania (-3,240), Maryland (-3,222), Illinois (-2,897), and New York (-2,810). Click on chart to enlarge Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits. Source: USDOL-BLS |
29 October 2013
• U.S. Producer Price Index – September 2013
| The Producer Price Index for finished goods fell 0.1 percent in September, seasonally adjusted. Prices for finished goods rose 0.3 percent in
August and were unchanged in July.
At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods advanced 0.1 percent, and the crude goods index increased 0.5 percent. On an unadjusted basis, prices for finished goods moved up 0.3 percent for the 12 months ended September 2013, the lowest 12-month change since a 2.0-percent decline in October 2009. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS |
24 October 2013
• Job Openings and Labor Turnover – August 2013
| There were 3.9 million job openings [sa] on the last business day of August, little changed from July.
The hires rate (3.3 percent) and separations [turnover] rate (3.2 percent) also were little changed in August [sa].  Click on chart to enlarge. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS |
• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims – 19 October 2013
[Jobless]
In the week ending October 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 350,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 362,000.  The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending October 12, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending October 12 were in Virgin Islands (4.0), Alaska (3.7), Puerto Rico (3.5), New Jersey (3.0), Maryland (2.9), Connecticut (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.6), California (2.5), Illinois (2.4), District of Columbia (2.3), Nevada (2.3), New York (2.3), and Oregon (2.3). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 12 were in California (+11,781), Pennsylvania (+3,362), New York (+2,443), Illinois (+2,178), and South Carolina (+1,182), while the largest decreases were in Kentucky (-2,178), Ohio (-2,164), Minnesota (-1,375), Massachusetts (-1,059), and Hawaii (-705). Click on chart to enlarge Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits. Source: USDOL-BLS |