Unemployment drops to 8.3 percent

First time that the rate has improved for five straight months since 1994. On the surface at least, this is great news.



http://news.yahoo.com/unemployment-rate-hits-8-3-pct-hiring-burst-133203040.html

 

Let's hope Starman is near a computer.

 

Why is that? Is he skeptical of these figures? I definitely made sure to hedge with "on the surface."

 

Because he'll have a thoroughly enjoyable rant about the uber-class not wanting people to have jobs, replete with sixth-grade nicknames and the perfect amount of bile for a sunny Friday morning. I eagerly await the musings of sj's favorite political lunatic.

 

He'll be here as soon as he's done feeding the people he has trapped in his basement.

 

It is good news. I just wonder if this is similar to a couple years ago when the people hired do do the census caused the number to drop. Is this a reflection of the seasonal workers who were hired around Christmas? Those kinds of things can really skew the number.

That's not anybody's fault, that's just the way it's set up.

 

Mizzou, these are January numbers, so the Christmas effect wouldn't be the difference-maker.

 

They adjust for that, and have for many, many moons. The unemployment number is never the actual number, it's the seasonally adjusted number so you can put it in context ... unless you're Starman.

 

OK... Good...

 

Mizzou, I think it's cool that you're pulling for the employment rate to improve, even though it would be bad for your side in November.

 

Nice job of picking up the slack, but you'll need more bile.

 

I don't think it's out there to suggest that some Republicans would like to see the economy stall until November at least.

Just like it wasn't out there to suggest that some Democrats were not exactly hoping that things would turn around in Iraq in 2004.