WASHINGTON - With no end in sight to economic bad news, President George W. Bush on Friday ensured that millions of laid-off workers will keep getting their unemployment checks as the year-end holidays approach.

 Valley residents out of work six months or longer don’t have to worry about losing their unemployment insurance benefits for another five weeks under a $10 billion measure passed by the U.S. Senate late Tuesday and signed into law by President Barack Obama.

WASHINGTON - The economy lost jobs in September for the first time in over two years as the convulsions of a devastating Gulf Coast hurricane rattled the labor market, pushing unemployment up to 5.1 percent.

The unemployment rate for Arizona increased in February as retailers continued paring jobs created during the holiday shopping season.

WASHINGTON - The nation's unemployment rate jumped to 6 percent in April and companies slashed jobs for the third straight month - particularly in manufacturing, airlines and department stores - as the fragile economy continued to quash hiring prospects.

The state is hiring 45 new workers at its Phoenix unemployment office as the number of claims soars because of the soured economy.

About 950 unemployed Arizonans each week will exhaust their state unemployment insurance benefits after Dec. 21 and won't be eligible for extended federal benefits if Congress doesn't reauthorize an extension.

WASHINGTON  -  New claims for jobless benefits surged last week and came in worse than expectations that were already gloomy — and economists say the figures would get even worse without an auto industry bailout.

State lawmakers refused Monday to change laws to extend jobless benefits, meaning the checks that about 15,000 Arizonans get this week are likely their last.

David Wells: At a recent community meeting on the state’s budget crisis with Republican and Democratic legislators, a courageous Karen Ickes shared her family crisis. Both she and her husband are unemployed, but, after losing her job, for eight weeks her family had to survive without receiving an unemployment check.

Ignoring objections from within her own party, Gov. Jan Brewer late Wednesday called lawmakers back to the Capitol in a bid to force them to extend jobless benefits for thousands of long-term unemployed.

Ignoring objections from within her own party, Gov. Jan Brewer late Wednesday called lawmakers back to the Capitol in a bid to force them to extend jobless benefits for thousands of long-term unemployed.

Ignoring objections from within her own party, Gov. Jan Brewer late Wednesday called lawmakers back to the Capitol in a bid to force them to extend jobless benefits for thousands of long-term unemployed.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security says payment of extended unemployment benefits may be delayed by about a week.

WASHINGTON  — Jobless workers in imminent danger of losing their unemployment benefits would get a 13-week reprieve under legislation approved by the House on Tuesday.

More than $140 million in federal funds that could be used to help cover an increase in the unemployment insurance benefit has been sitting in a state trust fund since mid-2002, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

The sequester is giving job seekers the "one-two punch," first in terms of unemployment benefits and second in job training.

WASHINGTON  — As unemployment spikes, the cost of compassion is going up too.

WASHINGTON — Congress took further steps to right the staggering economy by expanding a popular tax credit for homebuyers and extending unemployment checks for the growing legions of people running out of benefits with few job prospects.

More than 57,000 unemployed Arizonans will be notified this week of their eligibility for additional weeks of unemployment insurance benefits.

Monthly unemployment figures for Arizona haven't yet been released this year because the state Department of Economic Security is converting to a more extensive reporting system.

WASHINGTON — Democrats in the Senate have beat back a GOP filibuster of must-pass legislation that wraps up the bulk of the remaining congressional agenda besides health care.

Legislation to increase Arizona's maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefit wouldn't bring extra money to those who are out of work now, said Pat Harrington, director of the state's unemployment insurance program.