The program has had its flaws. But the attention they have received is wildly disproportionate to their importance. To hark back to another big government program, it’s almost as if the lasting image of the lunar space program was Apollo 6, an unmanned 1968 mission that had engine problems, and not Apollo 11, the moon landing.
New York Times journalist David Leonhardt • In an analysis piece describing why the stimulus program actually worked. The numbers are somewhat inconsistent, but he points out in his article that yes, the stimulus has actually improved the job picture. People disagree on the details and Republicans will use it as a good excuse to trash Obama, but the numbers, Leonhardt argues, favor Obama. One point worth noting: In most worldwide financial crises this century, it generally takes five years for jobs to bounce back to normal numbers. Obama’s already doing better than that, Leonhardt says. source
9.7%the current jobless rate, a five-month low source
Why this seems good After months of hovering over the 10% mark, it seems like (on the surface) we’re finally cutting into the economy’s debilitating factor. Obama has been feeling pressure on this for months now.
Why it really isn’t Payrolls still cut by 20,000 despite unemployment, which suggests that some people have stopped looking and are no longer counted. Also, some major industries are struggling, including construction.
Some promising signs Despite the job market’s mixed signals, there are signs the worst is over. Workweeks are longer, overtime is going up, more temps are getting work, and average earnings are up too. source