Interesting - the link I used for years to get updates about US unemployment(it was getting updated every month) -
ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt - it doesn't exist anymore, starting 2011.
It moved and available now under this link:
http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea01.htm .
And, I was just curious to see how we get 9% of unemployment in Jan/2011 - I note quite interesting things:
1. Non-institutional population in Jan/2011 went down (185k) in Jan/2011 from Dec/2010. It's amazing - in this table it's a first time ever (since 1976) , that US 'non-institutional population' goes down. And it's good for unemployment statistics.
2. 'Not in labor force' number has grown more then 300k in Jan/2011 vs Dec/2010 and it's highest ever - 85 million 518 hundred thousand US citizens who are able to work are not even trying to find a job. And it's good for unemployment statistics too.
3. Number of 'unemployed' went down by 622,000 in Jan/2011 vs Dec/2011. This number is most amazing out of all - and it's best for the unemployment statistics - 622,000 less 'unemployed' in one month, and we're talking about January! God bless everyone who was working hard in government statistics office to achieve this!! Just keep doing same effort for next 24 month and all unemployment will just disappear in thin air!!!
The rest of unemployment details we're flooded by media aren't important - bottom line - it looks the situation doesn't improve despite whatever effort is done - increase deficit spending, QE, China currency rate(which is, btw, going up significantly for whole last year and continuing to rise now), protectionism laws, etc.
What's next - food stamp will probably replace $ as reserved currency if this trend continues? Or it will be a law that everyone in US gets gov. cheque for $10,000 every month in addition and regardless of their salary? And all possible downpayments - for car/mortgage/etc. will be at least 90% of the price and paid and garanteed by lender, backed by FED ? And if you buy electric car and contribute to green energy, gov. will subsidize you by full amount + 50% you paid/contributed for that?
Or, may be US will back to real life from spending nirvana and stop spending like there is no tomorrow? Just a few steps, guys - stop lending and supporting bunkrupts(either banks/companies/persons), set a common-sense law for oil/commodity stock exchnages to make oil/commodity delivery for 'buy' contracts upon expiration, decrease - at least gradually - 'bank deposit insurance' to 0 in 2-3 years, stop subsidizing 'green energy' by tens or hundreds of billions(leave a millions for institutional research funding, like for the rest of science researches) , etc.. It will be painful, but patient at least will get hope this way..