Reuters has published the information that says US unemployment rate is lowest for the past four months.

The number of U.S. workers claiming an initial week of jobless claims unexpectedly fell by 8,000 last week to the lowest level in nearly four months, a government report showed Thursday.

First-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 295,000 for the week ended June 10 from an upwardly revised 303,000 claims in the previous week, the Labor Department said.

Wall Street economists had forecast initial claims would rise to 320,000 from an initially reported 302,000 for the prior week, which contained the Memorial Day holiday.

The initial claims figure was the lowest since the week of Feb. 18, when it reached 289,000. A Labor Department analyst said there were no special factors to account for this week’s decline.

The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths weekly fluctuations to provide a better picture of labor market trends, fell to 315,750 from 328,000 the previous week.

The number of people who continued to file for benefits after receiving an initial week of aid rose by 15,000 to 2.425 million in the week ended June 3, the latest for which that data is available.
Wall Street economists had expected continued claims to decline to 2.41 million from an initially reported 2.415 million the previous week. The Labor Department revised the previous week’s continued claims down to 2.41 million.

[tags]jobs, unemployment, labor department[/tags]

Bill Gates has announced of his decision to resign from Microsoft in 2008 and focus on Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Two successors are Ray Ozzie, 50 and Craig Mundie, 56.

Bill Gates did not comment his decision and it is not yet clear why he decided to resign. He will stay with Microsoft for two years more – enough time to change his mind.

[tags]Bill Gates, Microsoft[/tags]

I have a list of blogs that I read regularly. They are not all home work related: there are many SEO and general business blogs on my list.

One of my favorites of the recent time is OnStartUps, a business blog. There is some great information posted there. One of my favorites is the article ‘The Business Geek: Not An Oxymoron’.

In fact, all home workers are businessmen. We handle all kinds of tasks that ‘serious’ businessmen deal with. So, the article describes what a great business geek is, but most points are true for home workers:

1. Constant Learning
2. Uses Technology For Advantage
3. Balances Strategy and Execution
4. Professional Net Worker: (it is my favorite point – I am an introverted person – I wish I could improve myself) Technology geeks (if they’re really good) can often get away with being somewhat reclusive and introverted. Business geeks likely need to be much better at connecting with people, seeking out opportunities and doing something about them. In fact, they should enjoy this. Note: I’m not talking about the annoying types that approach people at social events and try to sell them stuff. I’m talking about the genuinely likeable types that are capable of having an intelligent conversation without expecting money to exchange hands.
5. Analytical and Inquisitive
6. Intellectually Honest

Summary: in my opinion all points are a must for a successful home worker. I do not think that the list will make you a successful and profitable businessman, but it is the starting point.
[tags]business, home work, home business[/tags]