On All Things Considered: New Jobs Numbers Point To Fragile Recovery

The jobs market deteriorated in September as employers cut 263,000 jobs, far more than expected. The unemployment rate for the month was 9.8 percent, the highest since June 1983. The quickening pace of layoffs deals a blow to hopes for a solid economic recovery.

The audio is now available and you can find out that, not only have more jobs been cut but the normal precursors to an improving job market [increase in hours worked and more temps being hired] is not happening. Many of the jobs being cut were in state and local governments as they struggle to balance budgets.

One of the local universities has dozens of instructional vacancies it can’t afford to fill because the state cut their funding. Federal stimulus funding has helped to reduce the total number of cuts, but they are turning people away that they would love to have, both students and faculty.

The last recession had a “jobless recovery”, but it was covered up by easy credit and the housing bubble, which fueled the GOPression. Until people have jobs and a steady, reliable income, there isn’t going to be a recovery, no matter what the GDP does. You can’t have an economy if no one can afford to buy.

The St. Petersburg Times has a profile: ‘Die quickly’ just a sample of Alan Grayson’s sound bite attack

Routine questions elicit deeply philosophical responses. Asked where he got his political leanings, Grayson’s answer ran eight minutes.

“There are now over 6 billion of us,” he said. “When I buy something, I’m buying the fruits of someone else’s labor. When I watch TV, I’m seeing things that other people have created. We are all highly specialized and highly independent and the only way to make everyone better off is if everyone is better off. My political philosophy is to see that that happens.”

I don’t approve of everything he’s done since entering Congress, especially not the Orlando hurricane center, but he sees it as part of his job as a Congresscritter. He at least knows who he works for – the voters in his district.

The Miami Herald says that Rio wins right to host the 2016 Olympics.

South America has never hosted the Olympics and Rio has an international reputation as a party city, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.

The US should just stop wasting money applying to host international events. The War on Terror™ has made it a royal PITA for anyone to travel to or even through the US, so no international group is going to take US bids seriously.

EBW at Wampum has made this point multiple times concerning Internet meetings, which are no longer held in the US because of visa hassles.

The same thing happened in this year’s Iditarod, with only one European team, and only five Canadians competing.

As long as the paranoia continues, US cities should just stop wasting their money on international bids – it is not going to happen.

Position: 17.7 N 122.5 E [10 PM 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [315°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 105 mph [165 kph].
Wind Gusts: 130 mph [205 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 175 miles [280 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 40 miles [65 km].
Minimum central pressure: 970 mb ↑.

It is 230 miles [370 km] North-Northeast of Manila, Philippines.

The outer bands are already on shore, and the storm is forecast to slow, and possibly stall in the area, which will increase the damage. It is expected to move on shore in the next 6 hours.

The major damage will be even more rain on already saturated soils, resulting in more mudslides.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Supercat!

Varoooom!

[Editor: This is KT-3 and she assumes this “posture” a lot. Cats are weird.]

Friday Ark