[AFPhys]

So we've got new claims to under 500K? This is good news how? There is so far to go before we are even near healthy territory:

[DonaldC]

I wonder, regarding that chart, what happened after December. There was a good trend up to that point.

[Pollster1]

Nice chart. It illustrates how “surprising” it is that after bouncing around between 450k and 500k per week, the newest number for weekly unemployment claims would come in at an “unexpected” 470k, dead center for the past 30 weeks of reports.

[Zakeet]

The sad thing: Given the DOL's propensity to lie through statistical adjustments (seasonal adjustments), phony premises (the "birth-death model"), exclusion (given up, under employed) poor sampling techniques, etc. -- we really don't have any idea how bad the economy is.

It is safe to say, it's a lot worse than the SOB's let on. But how much worse is anyone's guess.