Political Economy category archive
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still not bad, according to Northjersey.com
(snip)
Employers have added an average of 221,000 jobs a month in the past three months, a solid pace and above the average of 189,000 in the preceding three months. The unemployment rate has fallen to 5.1 percent, a seven-year low.
(I just couldn’t face Bloomberg’s caterwauling about how its “experts” were wrong yet again.)
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still not bad.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, dropped to 272,500 from 275,750 the week before.
(snip)
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits declined by 26,000 to 2.24 million in the week ended Sept. 5.
The Republican Party is convening to determine how to counter this trend.
“Like a Business” 0
A North Carolina school board member explains what it would take to run schools “like a business.” Here’s how he starts (emphasis added):
Success in every business I have worked in or read about starts with leadership, especially leadership at the top. And a common trait of successful business leaders is to insure that the business is properly funded before the beginning of each year.
Follow the link for the rest.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still pretty good.
(snip)
In the report on jobless claims, the four-week moving average was little changed at 275,750 last week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits edged up by 1,000 to 2.26 million in the week ended Aug. 29.
The most stunning development is that Bloomberg’s “experts” got it right. Time to buy that lottery ticket . . . .
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still under 300k.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, climbed to 275,500 from 272,250 in the prior week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits fell by 9,000 to 2.26 million in the week ended Aug. 22.
The number went up more than Bloomberg’s “experts” predicted, so Bloomberg’s headline writer is having the vapors. All this proves is that Bloomberg needs new “experts.”
Remember what an “expert” is: “X” is the mathematical symbol for an unknown quantity. A “spurt” is a drip under pressure. An “expert” is thus an unknown drip under pressure.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still under 300k.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, rose to 272,500 from 271,500 in the prior week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits increased by 13,000 to 2.27 million in the week ended Aug. 15. The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits held at 1.7 percent. These data are reported with a one-week lag.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
For all practical purposes, status quo ante.
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week remained historically low.
Jobless claims increased by 4,000 to 277,000 in the week ended Aug. 15, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington. The median forecast of 48 economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected 271,000. Applications have been lower than 300,000, a level typically associated with an improving job market, since early March.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, climbed to 271,500 from 266,000 the week before, the lowest in more than 40 years. . . .
Estimates from 48 economists in the Bloomberg survey ranged from 264,000 to 285,000. The prior week’s claims were revised to 273,000 from an initial reading of 274,000.
Follow the link to see Bloomberg’s fear-mongering headline. It’s a hoot.
Teabag Arithmetic 0
BadTux explains how it works.
Here’s one of his analogies:
________________
*In the political theatre, it’s almost certain that any performance billed as “common sense” isn’t.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still trending positively.
(snip)
The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure than the weekly numbers, decreased to 268,250 last week from 274,750.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits fell by 14,000 to 2.26 million in the week ended July 25.
The big news is that Bloomberg’s experts were close enough as to never mind, but that was likely one of the whaddycallem statistical anomalies.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still not too bad.
(snip)
The four-week average, a less volatile measure than the weekly numbers, decreased to 274,750 last week from 278,500.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits rose by 46,000 to 2.26 million in the week ended July 18.
Republicans, no doubt, have a plan to fix the disturbing downward trend in joblessness.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Better.
Jobless claims plunged by 26,000 to 255,000 in the week ended July 18, the fewest since November 1973, a report from the Labor Department showed on Thursday in Washington.
(snip)
The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure than the weekly numbers, decreased to 278,500 from 282,500. That was little changed from the 277,000 average during the June survey period.
In a continuing trend, Bloomberg is still need of new experts.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
A bit better.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, increased to 282,500 from 279,250 in the prior week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits dropped by 112,000 to 2.22 million in the week ended July 4. The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits declined to 1.6 percent from 1.7 percent. These data are reported with a one-week lag.
Greecing the Skids 0
Bonddad analyzes the promise of austerity as economic policy and finds it lacking. Here’s a bit; follow the link for the rest.
Total GDP at constant prices has decreased about 25%. That means there has been NO GROWTH. For the economically challenged, NO GROWTH IS BAD.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still under 300k.
Applications for benefits have been below 300,000 for 18 straight weeks, the longest stretch since 2000 and indicating companies are content to maintain staffing levels.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, increased to 279,500 from 275,000 the week before.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits rose by 69,000 to 2.33 million in the week ended June 27.
Bloomberg’s headline clutches pearls about how this is more than forecast (gasp!), as if that is a problem with the economy, when, in fact, it is a problem with Bloomberg’s “forecasters,” who, if they were meteorologists at your local AM-talker, would have been moved to reading traffic reports a long, long time ago.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
The numbers aren’t bad, but Bloomberg still manages to find a negative spin.