I'd google them but I want to have a consistent source.

Last I heard, the estimated rates indicated that we were barely treading water... Were those numbers revised? And have new numbers come out?

Thanks.

 

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bls.gov


Headline rate is down slightly. But only because masses of workers are falling off the backside of the benefits, becoming "discouraged workers" or otherwise dropping off the statistics.

Employment rate of the population continues to fall. There are 2 million more eligible workers than 12 months ago, but less total people are working.

 

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That's to be expected no matter what the job market is. Or do they only count people not in school and not retirement age?

More people are going to school than ever before and the boomers are starting to retire. Of course the employment rate is going to continue to fall as a %, and it will continue to do so for at least another decade or two.

Employment rate is available by age bracket as well. It's falling in several categories.

Non-disabled men, 16-64, steady at 82.4% employed.

Same category, women, down from 71.2% to 70.5%.

Employment for over-65 is actually UP 0.8% - So the drop isn't coming from there.


It's chopped up a bunch of ways, take a look at the report.
Latest report link

 

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Sorry, I'll resume my weeklies next week. I was on a rare vacation last Thursday.

I pull that 'layman summarized' version I post from a mix of BLS, CNBC analysis, another forum I frequent, and Shadowstats. Some of those sources are weekly, some monthly/daily.

 

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The more interesting unemployment numbers will be in February. Both government and private sector employers will resume handing out pink slips next month and it's going to take a little while for that to sink in.

 

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