Commercial Real Estate – Office: First-time unemployment claims fell in December to their lowest point since the onset of the financial crisis in September 2008. In addition, only 11,000 jobs were lost in November, the lightest month of cuts since the recession began. Reductions were concentrated in the manufacturing, construction and information sectors and were almost offset by growth in healthcare and the professional and business services sector. The gain in professional and businesses services hiring was driven mostly by a surge in temporary staffing, which rose for the fourth consecutive month in November after a prolonged period of contraction. This trend suggests that staffing needs at many companies have begun to increase as a leading indicator of eventual payroll hiring when companies enter an expansion mode. The recession has claimed nearly 7.2 million jobs so far, including 4.1 million positions in 2009.