Yesterday's job numbers don't add up

[NJMaverick]

There is a lot that doesn't make sense. First off every indicator shows the economy is improving and companies are hiring. Secondly the ADP data showed the complete opposite. Finally there was the decrease in unemployment. The claim that the unemployment number went down because people are giving up flies the face of reality which is more people are looking for and getting jobs. Something just doesn't add up.

[Still a Democrat]

The short story is we had some growth but not as much as expected.

[Treestar]

Nay sayers always claim that people have "given up" looking for jobs. Who does that?

[jaxx]

The numbers add up just fine. It's the GOP having trouble with the numbers....because they continue to go up.

Look at this headline from a WaPo article today http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/e...l_cuzheads :

Mild winter may have artificially inflated jobs data, economists fear

It screams "inflated" "fear" and the article goes on to say "Could good weather portend bad news for the economic recovery?

You have to get to the ending paragraphs before they say it ain't all that bad. This is the media directing the fear factor, somebody ought to smack them.

[Born_A_Truman]

Like the headlines about the stock market every other day: "Stocks plunge due to fears of yadda, yadda, yadda". The evidence shows employment is up. The GOP is trying to spin it otherwise of course.

[pappy]

I don't understand why you say the ADP numbers "show the opposite"?

Opposite to the increases shown by the Friday reported increase?

From the actual report:

Quote:Employment in the U.S. nonfarm private business sector increased by 209,000 from February to
March on a seasonally adjusted basis. Estimated gains for previous months were revised higher;
the gain from December to January was revised up by 9,000 to 182,000, and the gain from
January to February was revised up by 14,000 to 230,000.
Employment in the private, service-providing sector increased 164,000 in March, after rising a
revised 183,000 in February. Employment in the private, goods-producing sector rose 45,000 in
March. Manufacturing employment added 23,000 jobs.

[There Is No Spoon]

The differences are likely due to seasonal adjustment.

I don't know how to determine how these numbers relate to the month-over-month increase, perhaps somebody can figure it out: