Rinata
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- Oct 5, 2009
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The news Friday that the unemployment rate fell sharply to 7.8 percent just one month before the next presidential election heartened some observers and shocked others.
When you turn down the volume on all the political noise surrounding the report, however, what comes through is that the U.S. economy remains locked in a period of slow, steady job growth.
“It’s consistent with a slowly improving labor market where a few extra people are coming into the labor market,” said Joel Naroff, economist with Naroff Economic Advisors.
To understand why many economists might have that reaction, it helps to look at how the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates its job market data – and why economists pay much more attention to long-term trends than the month-to-month changes that tend to dominate political rhetoric.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said all the talk about data manipulation was absurd. "I'm insulted when I hear that, because we have a very professional civil service organization. These are our best trained and most skilled individuals," Solis told CNBC. "It's really ludicrous to hear that kind of statement."
Jobless rate drop no big surprise, despite the political racket - Economy Watch
When you turn down the volume on all the political noise surrounding the report, however, what comes through is that the U.S. economy remains locked in a period of slow, steady job growth.
“It’s consistent with a slowly improving labor market where a few extra people are coming into the labor market,” said Joel Naroff, economist with Naroff Economic Advisors.
To understand why many economists might have that reaction, it helps to look at how the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates its job market data – and why economists pay much more attention to long-term trends than the month-to-month changes that tend to dominate political rhetoric.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said all the talk about data manipulation was absurd. "I'm insulted when I hear that, because we have a very professional civil service organization. These are our best trained and most skilled individuals," Solis told CNBC. "It's really ludicrous to hear that kind of statement."
Jobless rate drop no big surprise, despite the political racket - Economy Watch