Change for the worse – Jobless Claims Rise to 6-Week High, Retail Weak

January 12, 2012 14:38


Some foolish Americans voted for hope and change in 2008. What they got was false hope and change for the worse. Let’s not let it happen again.

 

usACTIONnews.com editorial 1-12-2012

 

Jason Lange reported at Reuters.com:

“U.S. retail sales rose at the weakest pace in seven months in December and first-time claims for jobless benefits moved higher last week, signs the economic recovery is shaky despite a recent pick-up in growth.”

“‘The retail sales (data) suggests that spending isn’t really picking up any momentum,’ said Sean Incremona, an economist at 4Cast Ltd in New York. … surprisingly sharp increase in initial unemployment claims to a six-week high of 399,000 last week reinforced lingering concerns about the economy.”

Fox News also noted that the prior week data had been revised upward:

“Unemployment claims jumped to 399,000 in the first week of 2012, the highest in six weeks, from an upwardly revised 375,000 in the prior week.”

Funny how the numbers are never revised downward. Lance Roberts of Streettalklive.com explains the numbers behind the headlines:

If you take a look at the actual number of those “counted” as employed that number has risen from the recessionary trough.  However, in reality, employment is still far below the long term historical trend.  Currently, the deviation from the long term trend is the widest on record and has made very little improvement.

How can this be if the unemployment rate is falling?

To answer that question we only need to look at the number of individuals that have “fallen off” the rolls entirely due to long term unemployment. …  This weakness is further confirmed by the duration of those out of work which remains near last month’s record at 40.8 weeks.

 

Monty Pelerin thinks the administration and the Obama supporting media may be manipulting the data to sugar coat it as much as possible:

The best efforts of both government and their media cronies are devoted to covering up what is truly happening in the country. Statistics are likely being manipulated. Even so, they are so bad that the Administration and the media must sugar-coat them. As matters deteriorate, official claims only appear more incredible. The Kool-Aid drinking dullards may be kept in the dark and in the fold by such techniques, but independent thinkers are not.

Compare the jobs in this Obama “recovery” to Reagan’s:

 

In the Obama recovery we have actually had a .4 percent INCREASE in unemployment and added $5 TRILLION to the national debt.

 

In the Reagan recovery the unemployment rate DROPPED 3.1% in the same amount of time.

 

 

Some foolish Americans voted for hope and change in 2008. What they got was false hope and change for the worse. Let’s not let it happen again.

 

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” Edmund Burke. What will you DO?

 

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