Unemployment - some long-term perspective

The unemployment rate isn't good (and if you just lost your job, it doesn't matter at all)...but it IS interesting to look at how it fits into the last 40 years or so. Here is a graph from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that shows the rate since 1970:

As you can see, the rate is somewhat high, but not unprecedented. As Clueless Emma notes, one-third of the months since 1970 have been worse than now.

Moral of the story: let's all just take a breath.

Comments

John McCain and George H.W. Bush...Separated at Birth?

...have you noticed the similarities (I know they're not identical) between the candidacies of John McCain and George H.W. Bush? Both men: were decorated military veterans had lost nomination fights in the past had extensiive foreign policy resumes criticized for being less interested in domestic politics criticized for being a moderate, not being conservative enough. True enough...McCain and George HW...seperated at birth.

NW Republican: Ronald Reagan was more than an actor

This is a GREAT post in NW Republican: NW Republican: Ronald Reagan was more than an actor He is basically making the point that I've made...that while I agree with Christine O'Donnell on points of policy, she was a terrible candidate. We mock Joe Biden for being prone to gaffes, but she was almost as prone to it as he is. We mocked Barack Obama for being unqualified to be President, but what are her qualifications? What has she actually done ? We need to get to a point where someone needs to actually be a good candidate with significant life achievements, not just have the right views and look good on TV. The ones who fit that bill in the last election (Pat Toomey, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Rob Portman are examples) won. Here is a link to the original column by Peggy Noonan that he refers to in his blog post: "Americans Vote for Maturity", by Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 11-5-2010

Things you didn't know about Judd Gregg

He's held all major electoral positions in New Hampshire, serving as Representative (representing the district that includes Nashua) from 1981 to 1989, Governor from 1989 t0 1993, and Senator from 1993 to the present. His father, Hugh Gregg, was Governor of New Hampshire from 1953 to 1955 Gregg stood in for John Kerry during practice sessions held by George W. Bush in preparation for the 2004 United States Presidential Election Debates. Four years earlier he had played the part of Al Gore for the same purpose. Gregg won more than $850,000 in 2005 after buying $20 worth of Powerball tickets at a Washington, D.C. convenience store. Gregg endorsed Mitt Romney in 2008, and is considered a fiscal conservative and social moderate

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