Productivity Grows Solidly, Jobless Claims Plunge - Good News for Economy'

Productivity Grows Solidly, Jobless Claims Plunge - Good News for Economy's Health


WASHINGTON (AP) - The productivity of America's companies rose solidly in the opening quarter of this year, and new filings for jobless benefits plunged last week to their lowest level in more than three years, good news for the country's economic health.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that productivity - the amount an employee produces for every hour on the job - rose at a 3.5 percent annual rate in the January-to-March quarter, up from a 2.5 percent pace registered in the previous quarter.

The latest reading on productivity marked the best showing since the third quarter of 2003 and matched analysts' forecasts.

In a second report from the department, new applications filed for unemployment insurance dropped by a seasonally adjusted 25,000 to 315,000, for the week ending May 1. That marked the lowest level since Oct. 28, 2000.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA0RRT0XTD.html

so we may not know what the actual progress and figures are until the likes of the 1930's depression starts.

in line for a job...

Eventually, after 3 years of pain, the sluggish cyclic nature of economy has finally turned around in spite of Bunnypants*, not BECAUSE of him.

Plus, the whole thing may be phonied up and things might NOT be getting any better from Bushevik Economic Malaise.

Hard to say. Things might actually be not getting worse anymore. It's possible.

like the "escapee" because their backs are against the wall. Also I read here somewhere that most of the new jobs are from goverment contracts or govermental service.

As a small business owner I have already laid off 2 people and may have to lay off 3 more

Productivity figures really don't impress me anymore.

less people are doing more work.

I ain't buying it, to answer your question.

Sad that people don't understand the underlying logic of this number.

digital camera & torture device sales. yipee !

productivity rose for individuals because less people are doing more work. Seasonally adjusted is the operative phrase here. Who has dropped off the roles for uninsured due to their period of coverage for unemployment insurance coming to end is not taken into account. For the last couple of reports the revised figures provided some weeks later have indicated a rise. One must be very careful to not draw too bright of a picture in light of the ever increasing deficit.

And unemployment dropping only 25,000 out of almost 350,000 is not a "plunge". Let's wait to see how many jobs were actually created not how many have given up looking.

350K new claims - 350K new jobs (high estimate mainly due to summer hiring) still equals no new jobs.

When are we going to put Jon Lovitz as the spokesperson for the Chimp.
The habitual liar would be great!..get people laughing and they will remember all the Chimp's zoo fabrications.

The jobless numbers are what we've been waiting for. I think it's great news for America that this thing is finally starting to turn around.

who will have to pay off the debt being created to drive this "stimulus".

Oh yeah, and don't plan on retiring any time soon if you are a worker.

126,250,343 Minus 126,084,041 Equals 166,302 Fewer Employed People.

The first number is the total employed at the beginning of the year.

The second number is the total employed at the beginning of April.

How can a loss of jobs be seen as a good thing?

Beware of media spin.

,...an economy that is consuming itself, along with all the people in it, leaving only a few economic cannibals alive and filty wealthy.

:shrug:

That's the essence of our society. Now that capitalism is stripped of the wisdom of liberalism, the zombies are free to munch.

If you want a true picture of the economy, all you have to do is watch the stock market.

DJIA 10196.12 -114.83

Of course, the stock market is a leading indicator.