Bad News--Good News

[Jae Williams]

The Bad News is:

The Gummit released reports that unemployment is over 9%.

The Good News is:

Total job loss is decreasing.

Well, of course it's decreasing--there aren't that many jobs to lose.

Big A.. DUH!!!
_________________________________
So that is good news for me. I'm not losing as many hairs these days as I did 50 years ago!! That means I will be totally hirsuit in 6 months...right?
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And the Bad News is that a fellow fell from the top of a 20 story building.

The Good News (for him) is that when he hits the ground he won't be falling any more. He just gets luckier with each passing floor.
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And back to the Gummit issue...those guys can spin the numbers faster than a DJ playing the Minute Waltz in 30 seconds.

[Michael Larson]

from Table A-12. Alternative measures of labor underutilization

HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-12. Alternative measures of labor underutilization


U-6 Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached
workers, plus total employed part time for
economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian
labor force plus all marginally attached workers..

May 2009 16.4 %

NOTE: Marginally attached workers are persons who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and
are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the recent past. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached,
have given a job-market related reason for not looking currently for a job. Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those
who want and are available for full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule. For more information, see "BLS
introduces new range of alternative unemployment measures," in the October 1995 issue of the Monthly Labor Review. Updated population
controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

[Jae Williams]

The unemployment figures have always been skewered (sic). Seldom has there ever been an accounting for unemplyed who were not longer drawing benefits. That is the basis, mostly, for the figures--how many were drawing benefits or actively seeking jobs. Part-time workers have been included only in recent years.

Besides which, I only know what CNN tells me...which ain't so much...

[Michael Larson]

The "official" number has always been subject to some manipulation and not truly representative of what's going on.

The U6 number is not often reported but considered by many more reflective of the true state of unemployment.

Neither number is pretty and now I hear that Obama wants to propose more "stimulus" next week.

This is not going to end well.

[Jae Williams]

Originally Posted by mlarson

Neither number is pretty and now I hear that Obama wants to propose more "stimulus" next week.

Oh,boy! I think I'll buy a yacht...for my beach house, y'know.

[Nick Gromicko]

Lagging indicator. Not sure what it means other than things were bad a few months ago.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Lagging indicator. Not sure what it means other than things were bad a few months ago.

The first stimulus started in the middle of last year.

It was signed in February of 2008

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Lagging indicator. Not sure what it means other than things were bad a few months ago.

Are you spinning for the administration now.

[Nick Gromicko]

Makes sense. Government spending is DE-stimulus.

[Nick Gromicko]

I've already devised a simple way to stimulate the economy and make it boom, almost overnight.

Obama needs to call me.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by gromicko

I've already devised a simple way to stimulate the economy and make it boom, almost overnight.

Obama needs to call me.

He needs to call someone.

I vote Paul Volcker.

Chairman of the Federal Reserve

Paul Volcker, a Democrat[5], was appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve in August 1979 by President Jimmy Carter and reappointed in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan.[6]

Volcker's Fed is widely credited with ending the United States' stagflation crisis of the 1970s. Inflation, which peaked at 13.5% in 1981, was successfully lowered to 3.2% by 1983.

[Nick Gromicko]

Paul Volker can't stimulate the economy and make it roar, almost overnight. I can.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Paul Volker can't stimulate the economy and make it roar, almost overnight. I can.

If it involves blowing anymore false bubbles or inflating housing again, no way.

[Nick Gromicko]

The dollar in your pocket is a false bubble.

Borrow now at cheap rates and invest in hard assets (businesses, raw land, gold bullion). Dollar will be worthless in 2 years and you can use the scrap paper to pay back the loan. Don't get caught saving toilet paper (dollars).

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by gromicko

The dollar in your pocket is a false bubble.

Borrow now at cheap rates and invest in hard assets (businesses, raw land, gold bullion). Dollar will be worthless in 2 years and you can use the scrap paper to pay back the loan. Don't get caught saving toilet paper (dollars).

Since the crash isn't over IMHO. I'll wait a bit just yet.

We are still deflating.

And more