As a result of today's unemployment insurance claims report , the Associated Press has assured us that the economy is reaching the light at the end of the tunnel, and a growing economy is patiently awaiting The four-week moving average of unemployment claims is down to 450,250, a 2.2% decrease from the previous week's revised average. According to the AP, this calls for a celebration because apparently economists have stated that an average of 425,000 is a sign of the Holy Grail the nation has been yearning for; a healthy labor market. However, I don't recall economists increasing the sought after figure by approximately 30.8%. The threshold for a healthy labor market, in terms of jobless claims, has widely been reported for months as 325,000, in fact even the AP managed to report this number back in September. Now, for at least the past month, it has claimed that number has magically grown by 100,000? What's going on here? The AP has decided to lower the bar to "prove"...(Read Full Post)