Labor Department Error Overstates Female Job Losses
There are more women working for the postal service than the Labor Department originally thought. That has the potential to alter some much-reported numbers, but isn't likely to change the underlying trend of the recovery.
Fed Debates Falling Labor Force Participation
Fed officials agreed that understanding the reasons behind the decline in the labor force participation rate is “important for understanding unemployment dynamics going forwards,” according to minutes of the meeting.
Bullard: Fed on Hold Because Existing Policy Already Ultra-Easy
A top Federal Reserve official said the U.S. economic recovery is outperforming expectations and that current monetary policy is already very accommodative and risks igniting inflation.
Secondary Sources: Job and Education Chart, Big Business, China Dollar Shortage
A roundup of economic news from around the Web.
Stagnant Wages Limit Consumer Spending
Hourly pay and hours worked flat-lined, meaning real weekly pay was unchanged in April. Since peaking in October 2010, real pay has declined by 1.2%.
Secondary Sources: Euro Crisis, Long-Term Unemployment, Greek Exit
A roundup of economic news from around the Web.
Number of the Week: No Recovery for Single Moms
Married mothers are more likely to be employed than single moms, largely because women living on their own are having a much harder time finding employment. Their jobless rate was 15% in 2011.
NY Fed Releases Latest View on Economy
The latest update of the official New York Fed staff economic forecasts predicts trend-like growth, largely stable inflation and a slow grind lower in the unemployment rate.
Economists See Growth, Inflation Modest in 2012
Economists expect modest economic growth and slowly falling unemployment this year and next, according to a survey released Friday by the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia.
Secondary Sources: Europe Crisis, Shrinking Unemployment Rolls, Teen Pregnancy
A roundup of economic news from around the Web.
Vital Signs: Easing Unemployment Claims
The four-week moving average of initial jobless claims declined by 5,250 to 379,000 last week.
Fed’s Kocherlakota: Economy Closer to Max Employment Than Data Suggest
A top Fed official said he is paying close attention to inflation and that recent elevated readings signal that the economy is closer to maximum employment than labor-market reports alone might suggest.
