The count of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped by 11,000 to 444,000 for the week ended January 9, indicating that the nation's labour market continues to remain shaky.

Japan Airlines Corp is expected to cut 15,600 jobs, or about 30 percent of its group workforce, by the business year through March 2013 under a rehabilitation plan being compiled by a government-backed body, sources familiar with the matter said.

Optimism in the job market has boosted American consumer confidence, with expectations for the short-term future increasing in December to the highest level in two years, a survey says.

The economy is getting closer to generating jobs for the first time in two years, but it probably won't be enough to stop the unemployment rate from rising.

Layoffs are an inevitable aspect of the corporate world, especially in recession. But a poor economy should not be an excuse to cut jobs, a top industry official said.