The nation lost a lower than expected 36,000 jobs in February,
keeping the unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, the Department of
Labor reported
this morning.
The report was generally taken as good news, as the winter snow
storms were expected to have reduced employment even further.
Analysts had expected job losses of 50,000, according
to a Reuters survey.
"Severe winter weather in parts of the country may have affected
payroll employment and hours," the report said, "however, it is
not possible to quantify precisely the net impact of the winter
storms on these measures."
The report also found that there were 1.2 million discouraged
workers in February who are not factored in the unemployment rate
because they don't think jobs are available to them and thus have
given up looking for work. That's up by 473,000 from a year
earlier.
December job losses were revised downward to 109,000 from the
150,000 previously reported, while January losses were revised to
26,000 from 20,000.
The bottom line? In early trading, markets are reacting
positively to the report, because it's better than expected and
it seems like the job market is starting to flatten out. On the
flip side, while it looks like layoffs are starting to taper off,
millions of Americans still can't find jobs because employers
don't seem to be hiring. So, I think it's easier to make the
"turning the corner" case to the markets that it will be for the
White House to make politically. Democrats need to see the
economy actually start adding jobs at a good clip to improve
their prospects this November.
I think its pretty obvious the "official" unemployment rate is
fictional.
Siegfried X| 3.5.10 @ 9:48AM
The real unemployment rate, which includes underemployment, rose
to 16.8 percent from 16.5 percent. That's one of six Americans.
Brad Smith| 3.5.10 @ 10:17AM
President's have very little impact on the unemployment rate.
Short term policies (stimulus, tax cuts, etc.) can have an
impact, but employment will generally lag the recovery.
Conservatives like Limbaugh make a mistake in pouncing on
employment numbers to criticize Obama. Conservatives should be
talking about long-term policies (lower corporate rate, sensible
regulation, etc.), and not focus so much on criticizing the
President for the unemployment rate because when employment turns
around, which it will, they will have given the President the
opportunity to falsely claim credit for turning around the
economy.
Eric Cartman| 3.6.10 @ 1:31PM
When the president keeps doing things that prolong the economic
misery such as proposing radical changes that business will
ultimately have to absorb and must plan for, then he and his
henchmen deserve all the failures nail-gunned to their foreheads.
Conservatives can talk about long-term policies when they finally
drive a stake through Obamacare, cap and tax, illegal alien
amnesty and give away programs and the list goes on. When the
bodies of these monsters stop twitching, then talk about
long-term plans. The Tactical in support of the Strategic.
mythster| 3.5.10 @ 2:21PM
The economic system is under a death watch and there's almost no
hope for survival without radical surgery.
Our political system needs multiple organ transplants,
including brain and heart.
Here's what responsible citizens can do to insure the survival of
our country.
1. Stop contributing to all political organizations and
politicians immediately!
2. Create and circulate a petition to impeach the Supreme
Court.
3. Plan and execute a responsible citizens March on Washington on
the first of May.
4. Politicians and organizations supporting the petition and
march will be eligible for funding
5. Draft the "best and the brightest" to conceptualize a
"Citizen's Bill of Rights for the 21st Century" for endorsement
and incorporation in the U.S. Constitution.
Perhaps then we can start to re-create "a new nation, conceived
in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men [and
women] are created equal."
No offense, but the economy is NOT turning any corner, and
job/economic improvement will not be seen until/if the present
Democrat administration and congress can be defeated and run from
office. Their economic/financial policies of GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL
will never improve or stop the economy from hemmoraging
workers/jobs; since government funding does not CREATE JOBS [as
does private industry. The government's funding of their
so-called stimulus only preserved GOVERNMENT JOBS, which should
have eliminated anyway. Government employment is
rising/increasing, while the now 10% unemployment is solely
representative of PRIVATE UNEMPLOYMENT/JOBS LOST. Taxpayers are
in essense, paying/funding to have governmental workers keep
their jobs, when in fact these jobs are unnecessary and should be
eliminated to improve the economy. If/until government expenses
are reduced substantially, government borrowing will crowd
out/eliminate private industries from needed bank
loans/borrowing; and the unemployment situation will not be
reduced accordingly. Be prepared for extreme economic/financial
hardships in this country until/if the present Democrats can be
replaced by business/economic-oriented politicians whose goals
will be to facilitate/improve the PRIVATE SECTOR, as opposed to
the PUBLIC SECTOR!!!!!
Floyd Looney| 3.5.10 @ 9:24AM
I think its pretty obvious the "official" unemployment rate is fictional.
Siegfried X| 3.5.10 @ 9:48AM
The real unemployment rate, which includes underemployment, rose to 16.8 percent from 16.5 percent. That's one of six Americans.
Brad Smith| 3.5.10 @ 10:17AM
President's have very little impact on the unemployment rate. Short term policies (stimulus, tax cuts, etc.) can have an impact, but employment will generally lag the recovery. Conservatives like Limbaugh make a mistake in pouncing on employment numbers to criticize Obama. Conservatives should be talking about long-term policies (lower corporate rate, sensible regulation, etc.), and not focus so much on criticizing the President for the unemployment rate because when employment turns around, which it will, they will have given the President the opportunity to falsely claim credit for turning around the economy.
Eric Cartman| 3.6.10 @ 1:31PM
When the president keeps doing things that prolong the economic misery such as proposing radical changes that business will ultimately have to absorb and must plan for, then he and his henchmen deserve all the failures nail-gunned to their foreheads.
Conservatives can talk about long-term policies when they finally drive a stake through Obamacare, cap and tax, illegal alien amnesty and give away programs and the list goes on. When the bodies of these monsters stop twitching, then talk about long-term plans. The Tactical in support of the Strategic.
mythster| 3.5.10 @ 2:21PM
The economic system is under a death watch and there's almost no hope for survival without radical surgery.
Our political system needs multiple organ transplants,
including brain and heart.
Here's what responsible citizens can do to insure the survival of our country.
1. Stop contributing to all political organizations and politicians immediately!
2. Create and circulate a petition to impeach the Supreme Court.
3. Plan and execute a responsible citizens March on Washington on the first of May.
4. Politicians and organizations supporting the petition and march will be eligible for funding
5. Draft the "best and the brightest" to conceptualize a "Citizen's Bill of Rights for the 21st Century" for endorsement and incorporation in the U.S. Constitution.
Perhaps then we can start to re-create "a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men [and women] are created equal."
Ron Jones| 3.5.10 @ 2:59PM
I think the mythster could use a drink ...
bruce flitt| 3.5.10 @ 9:05PM
Agree
sherry| 3.5.10 @ 11:00PM
href="http://www.rsorder.com/rapid_gold.php">Runescape Gold ,
Oldefarte| 3.6.10 @ 11:49AM
No offense, but the economy is NOT turning any corner, and job/economic improvement will not be seen until/if the present Democrat administration and congress can be defeated and run from office. Their economic/financial policies of GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL will never improve or stop the economy from hemmoraging workers/jobs; since government funding does not CREATE JOBS [as does private industry. The government's funding of their so-called stimulus only preserved GOVERNMENT JOBS, which should have eliminated anyway. Government employment is rising/increasing, while the now 10% unemployment is solely representative of PRIVATE UNEMPLOYMENT/JOBS LOST. Taxpayers are in essense, paying/funding to have governmental workers keep their jobs, when in fact these jobs are unnecessary and should be eliminated to improve the economy. If/until government expenses are reduced substantially, government borrowing will crowd out/eliminate private industries from needed bank loans/borrowing; and the unemployment situation will not be reduced accordingly. Be prepared for extreme economic/financial hardships in this country until/if the present Democrats can be replaced by business/economic-oriented politicians whose goals will be to facilitate/improve the PRIVATE SECTOR, as opposed to the PUBLIC SECTOR!!!!!
Tech| 3.7.10 @ 1:16AM
At least there weren't more un-employed.
Vanessa| 3.9.10 @ 3:20PM
Julian Alssid from Workforce Strategy Center discusses the mixed signals we are getting about economic recovery http://tinyurl.com/yb95zf8
forex signals| 4.19.11 @ 11:05AM
I agree!
How To Get Rid Of A Cold Fast| 8.16.11 @ 5:50AM
are there any updates on this? I would like to read more about this issue.