unemployment figures a freaking joke...

[RandomGuy]

Let’s get one thing out of the way: The data was not, as Jack Welch suggested in a now-infamous tweet, manipulated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is set up to ensure the White House has no ability to influence it. As labor economist Betsey Stevenson wrote, “anyone who thinks that political folks can manipulate the unemployment data are completely ignorant of how the BLS works and how the data are compiled.” Plus, if the White House somehow was manipulating the data, don’t you think they would have made the payroll number look a bit better than 114,000? No one would have batted an eye at 160,000.

LOL conspiracy theories.

[RandomGuy]

A bit more on where the numbers come from and what they mean, for the wonks who care about such things:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...&tid=pp_widget



Drop in unemployment, is "statistically significant".

[jack sommerset]

Food stamps, government housing, part time jobs you can live a pretty good life here in America. God bless

[Drachen]

Let’s get one thing out of the way: The data was not, as Jack Welch suggested in a now-infamous tweet, manipulated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is set up to ensure the White House has no ability to influence it. As labor economist Betsey Stevenson wrote, “anyone who thinks that political folks can manipulate the unemployment data are completely ignorant of how the BLS works and how the data are compiled.” Plus, if the White House somehow was manipulating the data, don’t you think they would have made the payroll number look a bit better than 114,000? No one would have batted an eye at 160,000.

LOL conspiracy theories.

RG, I can't even remember any of their songs, but damn it, whenever you (or anyone) quotes that guy, all I can think of is that I know a group of guys who is better than him.

[RandomGuy]

How secure is it?

As my colleague Eli Saslow notes, the BLS process is highly confidential. Economists are put on an eight-day security lockdown in advance of the report, signing confidentiality agreements every morning. The computers they use feature heavy encryption, and data is placed in a safe even for bathroom breaks. The Wednesday before the release, the CPS data comes in, followed by the CES data a few days after.

On the day before the release, three copies of the report and a CD-ROM are placed in a safe and taken to downtown Washington from the secure location where they were prepared, and presented to the few White House officials who have permission for a sneak peek at the numbers. Journalists are given access to the information 30 minutes before release but have to connect to a secure network that prevents them from sending out the data ahead of its official release.

As nonpartisan as government gets

The BLS is a highly nonpartisan operation, existing since 1884 and headed by Jack Galvin, a career employee who ran the employment and unemployment statistics division from 1998 to 2011, and has held a variety of positions there since 1978. Prior to him, Keith Hall headed the agency from 2008 to 2012, following career positions at the Council of Economic Advisors and the International Trade Commission. It’s normal for BLS commissioners to span administrations and parties. Janet Norwood headed the agency from 1979 to 1991, spanning Carter, Reagan, and Bush I, while her predecessor Julius Shiskin headed it under Nixon, Ford and Carter.

Hall has told the Wall Street Journal that it is “impossible” to alter the numbers for political gain. But that hasn’t stopped some from harboring conspiracy theories about their political manipulation. Former GE chief Jack Welch today tweeted that “these Chicago guys will do anything…can’t debate so change numbers,” implying the Obama administration artificially inflated the figures.

But presidents themselves have worried about the agency in the past. Richard Nixon infamously asked his aide Fred Malek to count the number of Jews working in BLS, based on his delusion that Jewish liberals were trying to sabotage him through bad jobs numbers. Suffice it to say, none of these conspiracy theories — be they anti-semitic or anti-Obama — have any truth to them

[ElNono]

Meanwhile, here in Gov Fatass' state...

N.J. jobless rate nears 10 percent despite adding jobs

[CosmicCowboy]

A bit more on where the numbers come from and what they mean, for the wonks who care about such things:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...&tid=pp_widget





Drop in unemployment, is "statistically significant".

Good article...thanks for posting

[boutons_deux]

Meanwhile, here in Gov Fatass' state...

N.J. jobless rate nears 10 percent despite adding jobs

CA's is down, but remains above national figure.

http://www.google.com/publicdata/exp...a+unemployment

[101A]

RG et al.

I am sure there are any number of contingencies in place to make damn sure the employment/non-employment numbers are legitimate....

I have suspected for over a year that THIS jobless report, in October of 2012 would, without a doubt, come or high water have the jobless rate dip below 8%. (7.8 being JUST below the rate that the country was at when Obama took office is something I just learned today; what a CRAZY coincidence).

Just as this number is "impossible" to manipulate; it was a VERY predictable number that just so happened to pop up at, well, the absolutely most convenient time possible. I predict that it will be revised downward in December. Just a hunch.

Romney was kind of stupid for focusing on the 8% number.

Actually, this makes me feel better about Obama as president either:

1. The fates and/or God are truly with him (as our president, this is good for us all)
2. His policies are actually working, and America's economy is improving (doesn't feel like it, but good for him and especially, us)

or

4. He is capable of covertly making the impossible, possible - manipulating the number (definitely want that guy on our side)

[101A]

BTW: Saslow is the guy who wrote about Obama's "Glistening Pectorals" back in '08 isn't he?

[LnGrrrR]

RG et al.

I am sure there are any number of contingencies in place to make damn sure the employment/non-employment numbers are legitimate....

I have suspected for over a year that THIS jobless report, in October of 2012 would, without a doubt, come or high water have the jobless rate dip below 8%. (7.8 being JUST below the rate that the country was at when Obama took office is something I just learned today; what a CRAZY coincidence).

Just as this number is "impossible" to manipulate; it was a VERY predictable number that just so happened to pop up at, well, the absolutely most convenient time possible. I predict that it will be revised downward in December. Just a hunch.

Romney was kind of stupid for focusing on the 8% number.

Actually, this makes me feel better about Obama as president either:

1. The fates and/or God are truly with him (as our president, this is good for us all)
2. His policies are actually working, and America's economy is improving (doesn't feel like it, but good for him and especially, us)

or

4. He is capable of covertly making the impossible, possible - manipulating the number (definitely want that guy on our side)

You disappoint me 101A. I was hoping that you had not omitted the number 3, but instead put a secret message in white such as "Obama is getting funding from Muslim terrorists to prop up his reign!"

[boutons_deux]

RG et al.

2. His policies are actually working, and America's economy is improving (doesn't feel like it, but good for him and especially, us)

Which of policies Barry's policies are working or failing to improve the economy and jobs?

The Repugs keep saying Barry's economic policies have failed, but I've never heard them list what those policies are, and how they are failing, IF the policies even exist.

[101A]

Which of policies Barry's policies are working or failing to improve the economy and jobs?

The Repugs keep saying Barry's economic policies have failed, but I've never heard them list what those policies are, and how they are failing, IF the policies even exist.

Whatever policies he is going to imply were responsible for this....I'm just a stupid insurance salesman - not an economist.

[101A]

Nm

[boutons_deux]

one successful economic policy is tax credits for wind, solar, residential/commercial insulation. $100Ms in activity, 10Ks of jobs, and new companies.

The threat of the, eg, wind credit expiring is already hurting that industry and causing layoffs. Even a Repug gov up north is pissed at Gecko for saying Gecko will kill those wind/solar credits, and probably kill loan guarantees for all kinds of alternative energy, transport projects.

[boutons_deux]

Still waiting for Repugs here to say which of Barry's economic policies are FAILING! this is a huge Repug campaign point, but like all their other propaganda, NO SPECIFICS.

[CosmicCowboy]

Still waiting for Repugs here to say which of Barry's economic policies are FAILING! this is a huge Repug campaign point, but like all their other propaganda, NO SPECIFICS.

I just loved the out of those electric golf carts Obama bought me for the ranch.

[boutons_deux]

I just loved the out of those electric golf carts Obama bought me for the ranch.

Still waiting for Repugs here to say which of Barry's economic policies are FAILING! this is a huge Repug campaign point, but like all their other propaganda, NO SPECIFICS.

[TeyshaBlue]

RG, I can't even remember any of their songs, but damn it, whenever you (or anyone) quotes that guy, all I can think of is that I know a group of guys who is better than him.

+10 Cloak of Inscrutablilty

[Clipper Nation]

LMAO at the neocons.... "We're true job-creators, we want everyone to be employed except for when a Democrat is in the White House"

[Drachen]

+10 Cloak of Inscrutablilty

Look up, now down, now at your hand. What is it? Yes, the Dagger of Inscrutability Piercing. Wield it on my previous post and be enlightend.

[DMX7]

I didn't have time to look at the report too thoroughly, but I heard they revised old job numbers up as well.

[Wild Cobra]

So seriously...if 114,000 people got new jobs and 304,000 new people started looking for jobs...how does unemployment go down?

That's what they don't understand.

Unemployment numbers should go up. Not down.

[DMX7]

That's what they don't understand.

Unemployment numbers should go up. Not down.

Businesses added 104,000 jobs while federal, state and local governments added 10,000.

The jobless rate fell sharply because it's calculated from a different survey than the official employment number. That household survey showed a robust 873,000 increase in employment and a 456,000 decline in unemployment.

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/national/a...e-falls-to-78-

[DMX7]

Other positive news from above link.

One positive sign: The Labor Department revised up estimated job gains for July and August by a total 86,000. July's total rose from 141,000 to 181,000, while August increased from 96,000 to 142,000.