Breaking News-Unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent

LadyJazzer wrote: lol
John Flip-flopper Kerry
Rev. Jesse "Jesus-Freak" Jackson & serial adulterer.
John "fools around on my cancer stricken wife" Edwards.

Which one of them are currently running for president? I forget...?[/quote]

If they're involved in politics, they're running for president... just not in this election.

I'm not a fan of unemployment rates, since they're easy to manipulate.

I prefer employment/population ratios. It's hard to fudge those figures.
(the proportion of population, age 16 and over that is working)

Over the past year, the US employment ratio rose, encouragingly, from an all-time low of 57.6 percent to about 58.5 percent.
I suppose that's good news.

At the same time, were I to place these figures in historical context - they're still fairly crappy figures.
In 2001, the employment/population ratio was 63.7 percent.

If you'd like to politicize these figures ---- the lowest rate seen in the Bush years was 61.0 percent (Dec, 2008)

The best rate seen by President Obama is 59.8 percent (January, 2009)

While I'm not pro/anti-Obama --- the figures suggest to me that the economy still has a long way to go before it is recovered.

(my own opinion is that economics does best when government stays out)

I'm not going to be in the "atta boy" crowd, right now.

If you'd like to replicate my analysis:

go here:
http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab1.htm

Click the employment/population ratio button (I use raw, rather than seasonally adjusted figures)

CinnamonGirl wrote: I now predict that Obama will pull out of this election.

lol If that happened, I would love it. He did not look good the last pictures I have seen of the man.

znovkovic wrote:

The Liberals GOP Twin wrote:

CinnamonGirl wrote: Employers add 200,000 jobs, unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent, lowest in nearly 3 years

I just got this off the wire. I now predict that Obama will pull out this election.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/s ... 52410436/1

"December's biggest growth came in transportation, especially courier services that staffed up for the holidays..." and you can include all the retail that staffed up for the holidays and other seasonal part time temporary work force. Right now, this month, retail will be firing thousands of temporary workers, and they will even be laying off thousands of part time workers until business picks up before Easter. This happens ever year... a lot of lower-on-the-seniority-ladder part time retail employees plan for a seasonal layoff every year at this time of year. We have 3 people in our family that are employed at various levels of retail, I know from experience.

So don't count your chickens before they hatch.

is there a site (private or gov't.) that explains the "unemployment rate" that correlates to industries? I guess since most applications or other types of paperwork ask you for multiple questions about race, gender, religion along with others why not start collecting types of previous work/industry to see better data? Just a thought?

http://www.epic-fantasy.com/

Where do they get the numbers? I do hear "ADP" mentioned as a non-govermental source more often for unemployment percentages.

FredHayek wrote:

znovkovic wrote:

FredHayek wrote:

znovkovic wrote: Europe is a mess and the continent is full of nationalism which could repeat itself in history...

lol No one in southern Europe has the money to start a war. And they don't have the military, spending 1% of GDP on their militaries, what is that, 2 rifles and a land rover?

you are probably right about th money, but you don't necessarily need military might for a neighbor to jump the fence and slaughter the family next door with knives, clubs, rocks or by hand?

I was just joking, there is historical precedent for this. Germany was indebted in the 1930's. Hitler came in, refused to pay the debt back and invaded his creditors.

Just got back on, dam system was down! Yes we are on the same page and history does have a way to repeat itself.

towermonkey wrote:

znovkovic wrote:

The Liberals GOP Twin wrote:

CinnamonGirl wrote: Employers add 200,000 jobs, unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent, lowest in nearly 3 years

I just got this off the wire. I now predict that Obama will pull out this election.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/s ... 52410436/1

"December's biggest growth came in transportation, especially courier services that staffed up for the holidays..." and you can include all the retail that staffed up for the holidays and other seasonal part time temporary work force. Right now, this month, retail will be firing thousands of temporary workers, and they will even be laying off thousands of part time workers until business picks up before Easter. This happens ever year... a lot of lower-on-the-seniority-ladder part time retail employees plan for a seasonal layoff every year at this time of year. We have 3 people in our family that are employed at various levels of retail, I know from experience.

So don't count your chickens before they hatch.

is there a site (private or gov't.) that explains the "unemployment rate" that correlates to industries? I guess since most applications or other types of paperwork ask you for multiple questions about race, gender, religion along with others why not start collecting types of previous work/industry to see better data? Just a thought?

http://www.epic-fantasy.com/

rofllol
maybe its just me and I don't get it, but looking at the site it might be FANTASIA II.....

FredHayek wrote: Where do they get the numbers? I do hear "ADP" mentioned as a non-govermental source more often for unemployment percentages.

what is ADP?

just googled...in regards to payroll?

ADP is a company that specializes in handling payrolls and employment for companies. My company farmed out our personal department to them. They handle paychecks, obtaining medical insurance, etc. As a national company, they have a pretty good handle on new hiring and employment cutbacks. ADP probably isn't so good at estimating the employment rates of very small companies who can't afford their services and people who work under the table.

:ADP (NASDAQ:ADP), the leading provider of payroll services and human resource outsourcing in the U.S., is making move to modernize its services and expand the range of services it provides to consumers. ADP handles payroll for one in six working Americans..."