"First Wave" Katrina-related unemployment claims: 10,000, "flood coming"

Note from B_E_B: SOMEONE needs to tell the media to STOP using words like "First Wave" and "Flood" in these reports...

10,000 Katrina-Linked Jobless Claims Filed

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By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer

http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8CGC3400.html

September 08,2005 | WASHINGTON -- An estimated 10,000 workers who lost their jobs because of Hurricane Katrina filed for unemployment benefits last week, the first wave of what is expected to be hundreds of thousands of displaced workers seeking benefits.

The Labor Department said Thursday the 10,000 figure was an estimate of the number of disaster-related claims based on spot checks with claims offices in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and neighboring states such as Texas that have agreed to accept benefit applications from relocated workers.

Overall, 319,000 newly laid off workers filed for claims last week, a drop of 1,000 from the previous week. Department analysts said the big-picture figure would have been higher if not for the shutdown of many claims offices in the path of the hurricane. Higher numbers of claims are expected in the weeks ahead.

Private economists agreed and said last week's total probably will be revised higher once the government collects more complete data on benefit filings last week. "We know that a flood of Katrina-related claims is coming," said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital. "The magnitude and the timing are uncertain but the figures will clearly be boosted sharply very soon."

It's time to restore the WPA and keep the money out of Halliburton's pockets. Not only would the WPA provide jobs, but it would also give the displaced citizens a chance to rebuild their own city. JMHO