Name:   architect - Subject:   Inconvenient truths!!! Date:   2/6/2015 10:50:45 PM (updated 2/6/2015 11:14:39 PM)

Sorry, but you are making an invalid comparison. The 2 statistics you mention are not directly related and therefore cannot be directly compared.

The monthly jobs gain is a "net" figure.  It is the number of jobs gained in the month minus the number of jobs lost for a net number positive or minus.  For January it can be said that approx 1,200,000 people lost jobs (+/- 277,000 / week) but approx 1,457,000 people found a job...1,457,000 gained - 1,200,000 lost = 257,000 net gain of jobs

The number of new unemployment claims per week is not a net number...it is the number of new claims for unemployment made in that week without taking any consideration of the number of people going off unemployment because they have found work.

The monthly jobs gain figure and the weekly increase in unemployment insurance claims are apples and oranges with no direct relationship.

It's just math.  You are not the only one to make this wrong connection.  Please do not fall for the other right wing nut job claim that 92 million are "unemployed" when it is actually 92 million that are "not working".  "Unemployed" and "not working" are also apples and oranges.  My daughter is one of those 92 million...she is "not working" because she is a stay at home mom, she is NOT unemployed! Our best friends 27 year old son is also one of the 92 million who is "not working" because he is in graduate school but he is not "unemployed".  I hope you get my point...unless you are wanting to work and can't find work you are NOT unemployed.  At least 80 million of the 92 million do not met the definition of "Unemployed".

Hope this helps