On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 12:34:08 GMT, "Jim"
wrote:

Unemployment rates have been calculated in exactly the same way for decades. If you
find flaw in the way they are developed I suggest you contact the US BLS.

There's certainly flaws in the data, but at least these same flaws are
carried over month-to-month! You're confusing new claims with the
unemployment rate, and they are not one in the same. New claims are
declining, but that doesn't mean the core unemployment rate is
declining. If more folks are put out of work than are hired, what do
you think occurs?

The unemployment rate fell in July, but not because businesses were
creating jobs -- it's because more than a half million people took
themselves out of the workforce.

With greater productivity comes higher corporate profits (that is, afterall, what
companies are in business for, correct?) which leads to expansions and more employees.
That is Economy 101.

Indeed, but therein lies the core issue.........Corporate earnings
(profits) are coming from increased productivity and cost cutting, not
increases in revenue. How can companies expand and add more employees
if their revenues are flat? Don't forget supply and demand in your
discussion of Economics 101.

You put whatever negative spin you want on it but the numbers show otherwise.

I'm not trying to put a negative spin on the numbers, they speak for
themselves.