The American economy has shed 6.7 million jobs since the start of the recession, but workers got a bit of good news this morning: the unemployment rate dipped for the first time in more than a year. It now stands at 9.4 percent, down from 9.5 percent. The U.S. Department of Labor reported this morning that employers still cut payrolls in July, but the total job losses were far lower than expected: 247,000.
"The worst may be behind us," President Barack Obama said outside the White House today.
The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 113 points to close at 9,370, closing off another straight up week on Wall Street.
The Standard & Poor's 500, the broadest index of the nation's corporate economy, rose 1.3 percent to close at 1,010, a 10-month high. The Nasdaq rose 1.37 percent today to close at 2,000.
With the pop Friday, the S&P 500 index is up 14.9 percent in only four weeks and 49.4 percent from a 12-year low in early March.
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So I'm guessing if the unemployment rate resumes rising on the next report, expect a market dip.
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