Archives for 2015

August Unemployment Down

September 4, 2015 by Tim McMahon

The BLS issued their “preliminary estimates” for the employment situation for the month of August 2015. The Commissioner’s report regarding the Seasonally Adjusted numbers says, “Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 173,000 in August, and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.1 percent. Employment rose in health care and social assistance and in financial activities, while manufacturing and mining employment declined.”

The full report of unadjusted numbers states that there were 142.126 Million jobs in August compared to 141.794 million jobs in July and 142.868 million jobs in June.

See Current Employment Commentary for more information.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also released the newest unemployment data for August 2015 today. According to the BLS, the current “Seasonally Adjusted” Unemployment Rate for July is 5.1% down from July’s 5.3%. The BLS reported the “Unadjusted” Unemployment Rate is 5.2% which is lower than July’s 5.6% . See Current Unemployment Chart for more information.

In our chart of employment vs. unemployment we compare them and although you would expect that employment and unemployment are simply the inverse of each other (i.e flip one over and you have the other) actually there are several anomalies in the data. Because the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses two separate surveys to calculate the data it helps us see [Read more…] about August Unemployment Down

Lessons in Funding for Entrepreneurs

August 24, 2015 by Guest Contributor

Today’s entrepreneurs need to understand all aspects of their industry in order for their business to thrive. This includes financial funding as well as how to interact with investors and lenders that provide them with the early money and the ongoing cash flow support needed. Below is an analysis of some of the most important lessons gained by successful entrepreneurs who were able to find money when they most needed it.

Communicate Your Vision

Successful companies are built on a meaningful vision. Trends come and go, but long-lasting companies have something more to put on the table than just a killer value proposition. They have a worthwhile and enduring vision that attracts strong capital partners with good connections in the earliest stages. Sometimes these connections become key employees and indispensable managers. If you want to build a strong organization, start with [Read more…] about Lessons in Funding for Entrepreneurs

Tips for Finding the Right Employee

August 12, 2015 by Tim McMahon

Your employees are the heart of your business, so hiring the right applicant is a huge decision you want to get right the first time. Large-platform job-search sites can generate hundreds of applicants for your opening, but you’ll need to develop a good strategy for limiting that pool if you want to find the perfect candidate. Below are five tips to help you narrow your applicant field and attract the candidates you really want.

Know Who You Want

Before you list your job opening, [Read more…] about Tips for Finding the Right Employee

July Unemployment Data Released

August 7, 2015 by Tim McMahon

The BLS issued their “preliminary estimates” for the employment situation for the month of July 2015. Their abbreviated report using seasonally adjusted numbers says, “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 215,000 in July, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in retail trade, health care, professional and technical services, and financial activities.”

The full report of unadjusted numbers states that there were 141.794 million jobs in July down from 142.817 million jobs initially reported in June. At the same time they revised the numbers for June up to 142.839 million making the real loss of jobs -1,045,000. See Current Employment Commentary for more information.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also released the newest unemployment data for July 2015 today. According to the BLS, the current “Seasonally Adjusted” Unemployment Rate for July is 5.3% the same as June but down from May’s 5.5%. The BLS reported the “Unadjusted” Unemployment Rate is 5.6% which is lower than January’s 6.1% but up from June’s unadjusted 5.5%. See Current Unemployment Chart for more information.

Normally, you would expect that employment and unemployment should simply be the inverse of each other. Flip one over and you have the other. However, in the chart of employment vs. unemployment we see several anomalies in the data. Since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) actually uses two entirely different surveys to calculate them it helps us see [Read more…] about July Unemployment Data Released

Which Benefits Aren’t Benefiting Your Employees?

August 6, 2015 by Guest Contributor

More and more businesses are being forced to eliminate certain benefits in order to reduce costs so they can survive financially. This is due to increased competition, reduced market shares, and a sluggish economy. Supplemental insurance expert, William Hofto at All About Voluntary explains that voluntary benefits are a better option for most businesses and most employees, since they meet the exact needs of employees and save companies money. Here are some benefits that may be made optional in order to keep your company financially healthy. [Read more…] about Which Benefits Aren’t Benefiting Your Employees?

June Unemployment Data

July 2, 2015 by Tim McMahon

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the newest unemployment data for June 2015 on the first Thursday of July (rather than Friday due to the holiday). According to the BLS, the current “Seasonally Adjusted” Unemployment Rate for June is 5.3% down from May’s 5.5%. The BLS reported the “Unadjusted” Unemployment Rate is 5.5% which is lower than January’s 6.1% equal to last October’s unadjusted 5.5% but up from April’s 5.1%. See Current Unemployment Chart and Job Growth Stalls, Labor Participation at 38-Year Low for more information. The BLS issued their “preliminary estimates” for the employment situation for the month of June 2015. The report states 142.589 million jobs reported. That’s up 455,000 from May. But at the same time they revised the numbers for May down by 58,000 making the real gain (compared to the numbers they reported last month) 397,000. See Current Employment Commentary for more information.

Historical Employment Levels Compared to Recessions

In addition to the number of jobs from 1939 through the present this chart shows the recessions shaded blue as per the official description of a “recession” by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Although during some periods which are classified as official recessions the unemployment rate didn’t skyrocket generally, recessions correspond pretty well to declines in employment (i.e. increased Unemployment). This is especially true since unemployment is one of the factors NBER uses to determine whether there is an official recession. But theoretically if all the other factors line up employment could remain steady and the economy could be in a recession. See Employment During Recessions for more information. In this chart we compare employment vs. unemployment in an effort to get a more complete picture of the employment situation. Normally, you would think that they should simply be the inverse of each other. Flip one over and you have the other. But the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) actually uses two entirely different surveys to calculate them. And the current chart shows [Read more…] about June Unemployment Data

May Unemployment Data

June 5, 2015 by Tim McMahon

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the newest unemployment data for May 2015 on Friday June 5^th. According to the BLS, the current “Seasonally Adjusted” Unemployment Rate for May is 5.5% up from April’s 5.4%. The BLS reported the “Unadjusted” Unemployment Rate is 5.3% which is lower than October’s unadjusted 5.5% and January’s 6.1% but up from April’s 5.1%. See Current Unemployment Chart for more information.

The BLS “preliminary estimates” for the employment situation for the month of May 2015 include 142.420 million jobs reported for May 2015. That was up 970,000 from April. But at the same time they revised the numbers for April down by 12,000. See Current Employment Commentary for more information.

When looking at employment vs. unemployment you would think that they would simply be the inverse of each other. Flip one over and you have the other. But the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) actually uses two entirely different surveys to calculate them. So by [Read more…] about May Unemployment Data

Income Inequality — Why Workers Aren’t Getting Ahead

May 27, 2015 by Guest Contributor

By Windriven

Recovery from the Great Recession has been slow and uneven. Six years in and U3 unemployment is finally down to 5.4%, U6 has dipped below 11%. Why are there so few voices claiming victory and why do their claims ring a bit hollow?

This chart from the Federal Reserve provides a clue. It plots labor’s share – salary and wages – of Gross Domestic Product.

In the postwar years, the American economy was doing well. As the chart above shows, American workers’ share of GDP taken as wages and salaries was about 50% in those years. That began to change in the early 70s and today the share of GDP taken as wages and salaries is less than 43%. Productivity continued to rise. GDP continued to grow. But workers were getting a progressively smaller piece of [Read more…] about Income Inequality — Why Workers Aren’t Getting Ahead

BLS Releases Unemployment Rates for April

May 9, 2015 by Tim McMahon

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Employment and Unemployment rates for the month of April 2015 on Friday May 8th. The commonly quoted Seasonally Adjusted U-3 Unemployment rate was 5.4% down slightly from 5.5% in both February and March.

The unadjusted U3 was 5.1% while the broader unadjusted U6 [Read more…] about BLS Releases Unemployment Rates for April

Archives for 2015

Communicate Your Vision

Know Who You Want

How to Make Moving From Hardcopies to Online Storage Easier

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Historical Employment Levels Compared to Recessions