Still wondering about those pathetic unemployed caused by the devastating hurricanes and Bush's indifference to the poor?  Worry no more——they don't exist.

"Jobless claims plunge"

Oct 20, 2005 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The number of unemployed U.S. workers asking for initial jobless aid fell a larger—than—expected 35,000 last week on the back of fewer hurricane—related claims, the government said on Thursday.

First—time jobless claims, a rough guide to the pace of layoffs, fell for the second straight week, dropping to 355,000 the week ended October 15 from a revised 390,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said.

Labor attributed about 40,000 of the new claims to people put out of work by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, bringing the cumulative total of claims stemming from the storms to 478,000 since September 3.

Ethel C. Fenig   10 21 05