"Surprisingly Strong Job Figures"

[impik]

The jobs report today is encouraging in a number of ways, and should make the double-dip recession crowd at least pause.

1. The decline in overall employment, of 36,000, was almost certainly caused by the weather. As I have noted before, there were two sets of blizzards in the East to affect employment in the week the survey covered. The “real” number almost certainly was positive, and we are set up for a good gain next month.

2. Similarly, the fact the unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.7 percent indicates it is likely to fall next month, absent the weather effects.

3. For the first time since November 2008, the number of workers who had been out of work for more than 27 weeks fell, by 180,000 to 6.1 million. That number is still very large but its continued rise had been one negative that damped my optimism. That decline was the largest since June 2006.

4. Thanks in part to that move, the average and median lengths of unemployment are also falling.

5. The report of a 1,000 increase in manufacturing employment is obviously subject to eradication through revision, but for now January and February are the first consecutive months to show job gains in manufacturing since March and April 2006.


http://norris.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/surprisingly-strong-job-figures/

[xultar]

1. Riiiiiight.

[babylonsister]

6. Oh, come on. You've been unemployed two days?

Join the club. I have 10+ years being unemployed, most of them by choice. Now I 'need' a job. Try finding a job without a current job history. Pretty daunting.

[xultar]

11. Yes you are right, it would be way tougher in your situation but my post wasn't about that...

my post was about the fact that they are saying the numbers are stronger.

Another wave of huge layoffs is about to hit the fan and people shouldn't be lulled into thinking things are getting better.

[Teaser]

13. so you've analyzed these stats using what package?

R? Statistica? SPLUS?

[xultar]

15. Statistica, well I didn't but our Sales executives did and...

it was in a report they sent to us telling us how bad business was going to be based on the fact that the companies that buy our services and the services of other companies like us don't have the money to do so.

So the consulting firms are gonna be laying off.

[WonderGrunion]

10. Hugs Xultar

www.indeed.com

It gathers all the online job applications in your area so you don't have to hunt through 30 different websites for them.

[xultar]

12. OMG!!! Thanks a ton. I'm finding a lot here!!!! W00T!!!!

[WonderGrunion]

14. I found it useful when I was unemployed last year.

I hope you find something. I was unemployed over a year and it totally sucked.

[lib2DaBone]

2. only lost 36,000 .. not the 50,000 expected.. Happy Happy Joy Joy

1/3 of all people 18-29 are unemployed... most in 50 years... College graduates not expected to find a job until 2013.

[damonm]

9. So, I take it you would prefer MORE people were unemployed...

Aren't you just a little ray o' sunshine?

[high density]

16. What's new?

I graduated college in 2003 and it took me nearly three years to find gainful employment. The job market has been trash since the dot com bust.

[Zynx]

3. Also, the diffusion index of employment is moving closer to positive territory.

That measures the difference between the number of firms hiring versus firing. It has moved to its best levels in a long time.

[firedupdem]

4. Things are turning around....

My husband got 3 calls from recruiters this week. Nice to get calls again...I'm optimistic!

[Narraback]

8. Good for him and you!

Good Luck!

[babylonsister]

5. Rec'd! Thanks for some optimism! nt

[Clio the Leo]

7. Construction went down, other sectors went UP....

.... things are looking better and better.

[Cha]

17. My son just got a coveted

Gov contract job on the Military Base on Kaua'i doing his carpentry...so we're real excited around here!

Wishing those who don't have jobs "Good Luck" like I wished my son last week when he went on his interview.