Category: Unemployment
The analysis published under this category are as follows.Friday, January 06, 2012
U.S. Labor Market Encouraging Signs, December Employment Report Awaited / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims fell 15,000 to 372,000 during the week ended December 31. The four-week moving average at 373,250 is the lowest since June 2008. Continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, dropped 22,000 to 3.595 million.
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Saturday, December 17, 2011
Understanding Unemployment, Keynesian vs. Marxist Explanations / Economics / Unemployment
Ismael Hossein-zadeh writes: “A study of the struggle waged by the English working class reveals that, in order to oppose their workers, the employers either bring in workers from abroad or else transfer manufacture to countries where there is a cheap labor force. Given this state of affairs, if the working class wishes to continue its struggle with some chance of success, the national organisations must become international.” (Karl Marx)
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Friday, December 16, 2011
Jobless Claims of the U.S. economy Post a Notable Improvement / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims of the U.S. economy fell 19,000 to 366,000 during the week ended December 10, after a similar decline in the prior week. If this trend were to continue, the labor market picture could be different by the next FOMC meeting in January 2012.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Adapt or Die in the Unemployment Line / Personal_Finance / Unemployment
Adapt or die: this is a free market principle. It was expounded as a fundamental principle of society by Adam Smith and the eighteenth-century Scottish Enlightenment. This idea was picked up by Erasmus Darwin and extended by his grandson, Charles, who applied it – adapted it – to biology.
The Scottish Enlightenment announced "adapt or die" as the basis of social progress. "Adapt or die" is a principle of liberty, they argued. It is applied most productively and beneficially on a free market, they concluded.
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Sunday, December 04, 2011
The Real Reason Why U.S. Unemployment Will Remain High / Politics / Unemployment
It took quite a long time for Washington to finally concede something that was apparent; the nation’s excessively high unemployment rate would remain elevated for several years. But their admission has come with a twist.
Instead of pointing to the true reason for this demoralizing reality, establishment economists have offered some ridiculous excuses to account for America’s persistently high unemployment rate. The purpose of this propaganda campaign is to place blame on unemployed workers, rather than address the misguided economic policies established by America’s fascist government.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
U.S. October Employment Situation Means Fed Can Watch From the Sidelines, For Now / Economics / Unemployment
Civilian Unemployment Rate: 9.0% in October, down from 9.1% in September. Cycle high jobless rate for the recent recession is 10.1% in October 2009.
Payroll Employment: +80,000 jobs in October vs. +158,000 in September. Private sector jobs increased 104,000 after a gain of 191,000 in September. Addition of 102,000 jobs after revisions to payroll estimates of August and September
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011
U.S. Company Job Layoffs Portend Poorly for Economy 2012 / Companies / Unemployment
David Zeiler writes: Anticipating a sluggish economy for the rest of this year and into 2012, several major U.S. companies have set aside money to pay for possible layoffs and plant closures.
Such moves will help corporations maintain earnings growth, but will add pressure to the U.S. unemployment rate, which for more than two years has been stuck around 9%.
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Monday, October 10, 2011
Hypothetical U.S. Employment and Unemployment Charts from the Atlanta Fed / Economics / Unemployment
Inquiring minds are checking out an interesting "what if" post by Dave Altig, senior vice president and research director at the Atlanta Fed. Please consider Two more job market charts
Read full article... Read full article...Payroll employment growth has averaged about 110,000 jobs a month since February 2010, the jobs low point associated with the crisis and recession. This growth level compares, unfavorably, with the 158,000 jobs added per month during the last jobs recovery period from August 2003 (the low point following the 2001 recession) through November 2007 (the month before the recent recession began). One hundred and ten thousand jobs a month compares favorably, however, to the 96,000 job creation pace so far this year.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
U.S. Unemployment Rate 9.1% in September, unchanged from August / Economics / Unemployment
Civilian Unemployment Rate: 9.1% in September, unchanged from August. Cycle high jobless rate for recession is 10.1% in October 2009.
Payroll Employment: +103,000 jobs in September vs. +57,000 in August. Private sector jobs increased 137,000 after a gain of 42,000 in August. Addition of 99,000 jobs after revisions to payroll estimates of July and August.
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Wednesday, October 05, 2011
High Unemployment Means More Job-Killing Taxes / Economics / Unemployment
Kerri Shannon writes: The unemployment problem in this country has gotten so bad it's starting to sustain itself.
Essentially, high rates of unemployment have led to tax increases that are further suppressing hiring - thus making an already-ugly unemployment problem even worse.
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Thursday, September 08, 2011
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs – The Mantra of the Current Season / Economics / Unemployment
The unemployment rate of the U.S. economy in August 2011 stood at 9.1%, a far cry from the 4.4% jobless rate seen in the last business expansion which ended in December 2007. The current elevated level of unemployment after two years of economic growth is unprecedented in the post-war period (see Chart 1). The high for the unemployment rate in the post-war period was recorded during the 1981-1982 recession when it touched 10.8% in December 1982.
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Friday, August 05, 2011
U.S. Jobless Claims Holding At Elevated Level / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims fell 1,000 to 400,000 for the week ended July 30. Continuing claims, which lag initial claims by one week, fell 10,000 to 3.73 million. Initial jobless claims have ranged between 412,000 and 428,000 for three straight months. The main message is that firms are not hiring at a robust clip.
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Friday, July 01, 2011
United States: Initial Jobless Claims Stuck at an Elevated Level / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims fell 1,000 to 428,000 during the week ended June 25. The four-week moving average has held around 426,000 since the week ended May 26. Essentially, firms have been unwilling to increase their payrolls. Continuing claims, which lag initial claims by one week, fell 12,000 to 3.702 million. The four-week moving average of continuing claims has held almost steady since April 2011 (see Chart 1).Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, June 24, 2011
U.S. Jobless Claims, Firms Remain Reluctant to Increase Payrolls / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims rose 9,000 to 429,000 during the week ended June 18. The four-week moving average held steady at 426,250. Continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, fell slightly to 3.697 million from 3.698 million people. The four-week moving average of continuing claims edged down to 3.709 million from 3.714 million.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Unemployment Conspiracy; It's the Policy, Stupid / Economics / Unemployment
When the recovery began 2 years ago, the rate of unemployment was 9.5 percent. Today it's 9.1 percent. Think about that for a minute. Doesn't that prove that the market isn't really self-correcting after all? I mean, if the market was self-correcting then unemployment would have gone down by now, right? But, it hasn't. Why?Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, June 03, 2011
U.S. Unemployment Now at Great Depression Levels, Jobs Destruction is Permanent / Economics / Unemployment
Unemployment During the Great Depression Has Been Overstated and Current Unemployment Understated (We've Now Got Depression-Level Unemployment)
The commonly-accepted unemployment figures for the Great Depression are overstated.
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Friday, June 03, 2011
U.S. Labor Market Elevated Level of Initial Jobless Claims is Worrisome / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims fell 6,000 to 422,000 during the week ended May 28. The underlying trend of initial jobless claims in the last two months has changed. The number of initial jobless claims has risen to 426,000 during May from 423,000 in April after an extended period of a decelerating trend (see Chart 2). These numbers suggest that labor market conditions remain worrisome. The reversal of initial jobless claims is consistent with the slowing trend visible in other recent economic reports.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, May 09, 2011
What's the Real U.S. Unemployment Rate? / Economics / Unemployment
Every month the government posts the unemployment rate yet few know where the unemployment rate comes from, how it is determined, and the relationship between the unemployment rate and the monthly reported jobs total.
For a quick recap, the unemployment rate comes from a "Household Survey" while the reported headline jobs total comes from the "Establishment Survey". The former is a monthly phone survey, the latter is a sample of actual business employment.
Friday, April 15, 2011
U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Surprise Jump / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims rose 27,000 to 412,000 during the week ended April 9. It is surprising given that initial jobless have been trending down and holding below 400,000 for four straight weeks.
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Friday, April 08, 2011
U.S. Jobless Downtrend Remains in Place / Economics / Unemployment
Initial jobless claims fell 10,000 to 382,000 during the week ended April 2, which puts the 4-week moving average at 389,500. Continuing claims, which lag initial jobless fell 9,000 to 3.723 million. The good news is that the downward trend of jobless claims is maintained. The number of claimants under the special programs fell for the week ended March 19 declined roughly 90,000. Going forward a larger drop would be necessary to be consistent with the strength seen in private sector payrolls in February and March.
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