The February Unemployment report has been released. Unemployment ticked up by .1 percent from 6.6 to 6.7 percent. The Department of Labor (DOL) reported job creation hit 175,000; beyond expectation. The DOL also reported the job numbers for January and February were adjusted, as is always the case. The February jobs number is a bit of a surprise, especially after all the talk about how the polar vortex (for us high information people) may have influenced 2014 employment figures.
The following Benen chart has a notation added by The Pardu.
The open-minded must wonder how our jobs numbers and unemployment rates would look, if the GOP have given the Obama Team the full $1.2 Trillion requests in early 2009. Alas, a wonderment that is best left for the reality of GOP obstruction as never before in US History. Obstruction that places the nation's economic health as secondary or tertiary consideration after political maneuvers and subservience to the whims of uber wealthy money-backers (e.g. the Koch brothers cabal, Adelsen and other less public plutocrats).
The economy continues to improve at a slow but steady past.
It is critical to remind you that we are seeing continuous improvement sine the 2009 Stimulus unabetted despite irrefutable GOP obstruction. If the six million people denied unemployment payments were granted life sustaining assistance, we would have millions more spending towards the US GDP; people who are forced to live off unemployment payments spend the money. There is no money for market investment, savings, and nor discretionary spending. They damned sure cannot send money to offshore accounts то avoid US taxes.
On occasion, we secure and post economic data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank (FRED) , YCharts, and Yahoo Finance. It seems we haven't been as diligent in posting the economic data based on numerous request to develop and post data for February 2014.
Here you go, "data bugs!" Despite frequent proclamation of a "disastrous" US economy, data doesn't agree. While, Manufacturing and Auto Sales slowed during the month, other indicators stayed on the path to improvement. Regardless of reason for the 6.6% unemployment rate, when coupled with Fed managed inflation the Misery Index shows well and continues a snail's pace downward with some level as we move through early 2014.
There is a story here and it is certainly not that of a "disastrous" US economy! The story is available for those who seek information.
2014-01: 101.0251Index 2007=100 Last 5 Observations
Monthly, Seasonally Adjusted, Updated: 2014-02-14 10:41 AM CST
Notes:
The Industrial Production Index (INDPRO) is an economic indicator that measures real output for all facilities located in the United States manufacturing, mining, and electric, and gas utilities (excluding those in U.S. territories).(1) The index is compiled on a monthly basis to bring attention to short- term changes in industrial production,. It measures movements in production output and highlights structural developments in the economy. (1) Growth in the production index from month to month is an indicator of growth in the industry.
Monthly, Seasonally Adjusted, Updated: 2014-02-01 (We performed REVIEW EDIT FORM 01.01.07 ( the Great Recession started in December 2007)
Notes:
The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Labor force data are restricted to people 16 years of age and older, who currently reside in 1 of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, who do not reside in institutions (e.g., penal and mental facilities, homes for the aged), and who are not on active duty in the Armed Forces. This rate is also defined as the U-3 measure of labor underutilization.
By comparison, the S&P 500 gained more than $9 trillion in value under the eight years of Bill Clinton’s administration.
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For those who do not quickly see the graphic representation we seek, follow for a moment. We notice the "Y" Axes for both graphs are in "Trillions of $." While we have no economist or statisticians on staff, we provide a degree of correlation between the two graphs.
The graphs have different Trillion dollar baselines. Stocks under Clinton has a minus one (-1)Trillion baseline. If we take the minus one baseline for Clinton and lay it upon the minus onefor the Bush graph the $13 Trillion swing to the Bush graph negative is made even more dramatic.
The drastic change from year 2000 to 2001(first year of the Bush chart) speaks to the stark reality of Republican Vs Democratic management of the US economy. A few charts illustrate the point: Republicans are US economy killers.
Excuse our "look back" digression, but the look back was critical to what you are about to see.
During the week, two stock market indices reached record performance levels this past week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed 16,000 for the first time since its inception in 1882. An indicator that is reported to be a much more reliable macro indicator of US markets surpassed it previous high: the S & P exceeded 1800 for the first time in its history.
We visited Yahoo Finance (Dot Com) for illustrations of major market indicators as our week ended.
S&P 500 (^GSPC)
-SNP
1,804.768.91(0.50%)4:34PM EST
S&P 500 (SNP)
S&P 500 (^GSPC)
-SNP
Prev Close:
1,795.85
Open:
1,797.21
Day's Range:
1,794.70 - 1,804.84
52wk Range:
1,385.43 - 1,804.84
Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI)
-DJI
16,064.7754.78(0.34%)Nov 22
Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI)
-DJI
Prev Close:
16,009.99
Open:
16,008.71
Day's Range:
15,976.27 - 16,068.78
52wk Range:
12,765.30 - 16,068.80
Quotes delayed, except where indicated otherwise. Currency in USD. Data indicates the DIJA is up 3,000 points year-to-date!
NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC)
-Nasdaq GIDS
3,991.6522.49(0.57%)Nov 22
NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC)
-Nasdaq GIDS
Prev Close:
3,969.15
Open:
3,977.31
Day's Range:
3,973.00 - 3,991.66
52wk Range:
2,935.88 - 3,994.97
Quotes delayed, except where indicated otherwise. Currency in USD.
Before we leave market indicators, let's visit a Chicago Board Options Index: The CBOE Volatility Index®
VIX is a trademarked ticker symbol for the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index, a popular measure of the implied volatilityof S&P 500 index options. Often referred to as the fear index or the fear gauge, it represents one measure of the market's expectation of stock market volatility over the next 30 day period.
.....is a key measure of market expectations of near-term volatility conveyed byS&P 500 stock index option prices. Since its introduction in 1993, VIX has been considered by many to be the world's premier barometer of investor sentiment and market volatility.
* The S&P 500 Index (SPX) is a price index that does not include reinvested dividends. CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX®) : www.cboe.com/VIX
The chart above bodes very poorly for GOP political operatives and GOP members of congress. Market volatility drops as S & P performance reaches into "never before" territory.(The Pardu)
The Chicago Board Option Index points to S & P short-term performance (30 days) that indicate the nation's markets are headed for stellar investment performance through year end. Economic performance that could bode exceedingly well for Democrats headed into 2014 mid-terms. Do you hear any reference to the economy from the GOP? Better yet, when have you last heard the words "stock market" from the GOP? I have not heard the words, "stock market" from the GOP in over three years.
On Friday November 22nd, Huffington Post ran a Reuters piece to summed-up the week's stock market performance. Of particular note, Reuter's comment that healthcare stocks led the weekly charged towards record indices (viewable via the link below).
Huffington Post....
Excerpt
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 54.78 points, or 0.34 percent, to end unofficially at 16,064.77. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 8.91 points, or 0.50 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,804.76. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> climbed 22.50 points, or 0.57 percent, to close unofficially at 3,991.65.
For the week, the Dow rose 0.6 percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent, and the Nasdaq edged up 0.1 percent. It was the seventh straight week of gains for both the Dow and the S&P 500.
Why is US media not covering stock performance in 2013? Recording breaking daily performance garners mention via all networks, but that is the full extent of coverage. You have to know if the markets were down, each network would run one hour specials on the down markets. Do television news networks and news programs (in general) have a responsibility to report real news? Or, does the draw of negative stories so out weigh the revenue value of covering and reporting on critical economic news? Recent studies indicate people get their news predominantly from television. The questions are critical questions that deserve an answer. The answer to the questions is best answered via the perfectexample.
60 Minutes broadcast of the now famous false Benghazi story is the epitome of failed television news investigation, story development and eventual broadcast. Failure based in revenue garnering anti-Administration stories to attract viewers. All networks all broadcast story retractions, apologizes or clarifications which in past years would have been caught by college interns. MSNBC may have few false stories or stories that require immediate retraction or clarification, but MSNBC is an exception.
If people get their news from television and networks are reporting only 'flash' negative stories. Media must accept responsibility for the prospect of returning the nation to the GOP policy and practice. All data graphically posted above indicate why media would is culpable in mid-term results that could counter and reverse an improving US economy.
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