Archive for August 17th, 2012

The streak rolls on: BLS under-reports initial unemployment claims … again!

August 17, 2012

One more time …

Now we’re up to 74 out of 75 weeks — and, at least 15 weeks in a row — that the BLS’s “headline number” has under-reported the number of initial unemployment claims … and cast the jobs situation as brighter than it really is.

Based on Thursday’s BLS report, the number for the week ending August 3 was revised upward from 361,000 to 364,000.

In itself, the 3,000 isn’t a big deal.

But, in context it is

Again, I ask: statistical bias or political bias?

If the former: fix it already, BLS.

Hint to BLS: just add 2k or .8% to your prelim forecast !

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Almost forgot … the preliminary unemployment claims for the week of Aug. 11 are up 5K vs. the Aug. 3 preliminary number and up 2K vs the revised Aug.3 number.

In other words, no indication that a corner has been turned.

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“Central link” between computers and mental disorders …

August 17, 2012

A new study reported by CBS finds that constantly being online can affect your mental health.

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg  found that a majority of them who constantly use a computer and mobile phones can develop stress, sleeping disorders and depression.

“It is easy to spend more time than planned at the computer (e.g., working, gaming, or chatting), and this tends to lead to time pressure, neglect of other activities and personal needs (such as social interaction, sleep, physical activity), as well as bad ergonomics, and mental overload.”

The study also found a correlation between stress and phone use.

“Often using the computer late at 48 night (and consequently losing sleep) was a prospective risk factor for stress and sleep disturbances.”

Takeaway: People need to set limits on computer and cell phone use …  to minimize the risk of these types of mental disorders.

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Did the Supreme Court help Obama or Romney ?

August 17, 2012

Pundits – all of whom mis-predicted the Supreme Court decision – were largely split re: whether the decision would boost Obama’s or Romney’s Presidential chances.

Well, based on this week’s NYT-CBS poll, the SCOTUS decision was a boost for Romney:

28% said they were more likely to vote for Romney … only 13% said that they were more likely to vote for Obama … that’s more than 2 to 1.

Fair to say that the SCOTUS decision was a force boosting Romney into a dead heat in the election poll.

 

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SCOTUS & Politics

From the same poll, a majority felt that  the SCOTUS decision was based on personal or political views rather than the law.

That can’t be good …

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