Democratic National Convention: Unemployment Benefits

President Barack Obama Dept: WASHINGTON - U.S. employers added 96,000 jobs last month, a weak figure that could slow the momentum President Barack Obama hoped to gain from his speech Thursday night to the Democratic National Convention, according to Winnipeg Free Press. Stocks ticked higher in the first hour of trading, as investors anticipate the Federal Reserve will unveil a new bond-buying program at its meeting next week to try to lift the economy. The goal of the bond purchases would be to lower long-term interest rates to encourage borrowing and spending and fILE- In this Aug. 22, 2012 file photo, Judy Smith, of Dalton, Ga., looks over paperwork as she files for unemployment for the first time since being laid off from a catering job at a convention center in Dalton, Ga. Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, and a private survey showed businesses stepped up hiring in August. The data sketched a brighter outlook for the job market one day before the government reports on August employment. AP Photo/David Goldman, File The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 per cent from 8.3 per cent in July. But that was only because more Americans gave up looking for jobs. People who are out of work are counted as unemployed only if they're looking for a job. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.