The Homa Files

I promise that I’ll stop writing about BLS reporting bias when the streak ends.

Now we’re up to 78 out of 79 weeks — and, at least 19 election season 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 Sept. 1 was revised upward from 365,000 to 367,000.

In itself, the 2,000 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 3k … or .8% to your prelim forecast !

* * * * *

And, oh yeah, the initial jobless claims increased by 15,000 … above the consensus estimates … and consistent with an unemployment rate higher than 8.1%.

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This entry was posted on September 14, 2012 at 6:04 am and is filed under BLS, Employment - Jobs, Statistical Bias, Unemployment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.