News
WSJ | Jobs Recovery Gains Momentum
The U.S. added more than 200,000 jobs for the third straight month, showing gains across industries and demographic groups, in the latest sign that the economy has gained momentum.
USA Today | More younger workers finding jobs
Jobs for 25-to-34-year-olds increased by 116,000 to 30.5 million in February. Their unemployment rate fell from 9% in January to 8.7%, the lowest since January 2009, according to the Labor Department.
USA Today | In quest to stimulate jobs, some states are getting creative
In the quest to create jobs, some states are getting creative: Nevada may hold contests to encourage entrepreneurs. Ohio is giving control of its liquor profits to a group of business leaders. And Washington and Alabama are "selling" income they don't even have yet.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Heritage Foundation | Heritage Employment Report: February Shows Good News
The unemployment rate remained flat even as the labor market increased by 476,000 potential workers. Job creation was robust enough that the labor market absorbed these new workers without an increase in the unemployment rate.
WSJ | The Jobs Rally
Sometimes you simply have to marvel at the resilience of the private economy in America, and yesterday's upbeat jobs report was one of those moments. Employers shook off the dysfunction in Washington and added 227,000 new workers in February.
Real Clear Markets | Obama Stumbles On Jobs Secret: Do Nothing
During the seven months from January 2011 through July 2011, the federal government had its "stimulus" pedal to the metal. Concurrently, the Federal Reserve was conducting its "Quantitative Easing 2" (QE2) monetary stimulus program.
WSJ | What North Dakota Could Teach California
In his speech last week responding to high gas prices, President Barack Obama insisted that "we can't just drill our way out of" our energy woes. Actually, we can
The American | How Obama’s Energy Policy Will Kill Jobs
President Obama is once again proposing selectively punitive treatment of the oil and natural gas industry, one of the strongest job-creating sectors of the U.S. economy.
Fortune | Unemployment: Leveling off or just a retirement influx?
Contrary to what most economists think, aging Baby Boomers entering retirement has largely driven down the unemployment rate.
WSJ | Piecing Together the Job-Picture Puzzle
At 8.3%, the unemployment rate has fallen 0.7 percentage point from a year earlier and is down 1.7 percentage points from a peak of 10% in October 2009. Many other measures of the job market are improving.
Blogs
Keith Hennessey | A good Jobs Day
We are still 5.3 million jobs shy of peak employment in December 2007 and 864,000 shy of January 2009 when President Obama took office.
The American | The real unemployment rate? It sure isn’t 8.3%
Even if it were a legit number, the 8.3% February unemployment rate, released today by the Labor Department, would be simply terrible—and unacceptable. It would still extend the longest streak of 8%-plus unemployment since the Great Depression.
Economist | Behind the jobs curve
On Friday, the Bureau of Labour Statistics reported an increase in payroll employment of 227,000 jobs in the month of February. Encouragingly, job gains for December and January were revised upward, by 20,000 and 41,000, respectively.
WSJ | Why Didn’t Unemployment Rate Drop?
The U.S. unemployment rate stayed at 8.3% in February, but a broader measure dropped to 14.9% from 15.1% the prior month, indicating that the labor market is strengthening.
The American | Obama’s part-time job recovery
The economy is adding jobs, though not enough to bring down the sky-high unemployment rate. But it’s not just the quantity of jobs that’s a problem, it’s the quality, too.
WSJ | Where Will 2012 Jobs Growth Come From?
The government reported broad-based gains in jobs for February, but which industries will be adding to payrolls over the coming year?
Political Calculations | Teens Absent from Job Gains
It's happened again! In a month that saw job gains for all other age groups, American teens saw their numbers in the U.S. workforce decline. Again.
