MSNBC Vote Online: Has the economy turned the corner?

[JaneQPublic]

As of this post, 57 percent say YES!

Make it a self-fulfilling prophecy and vote here:

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/03/10309691-do-you-think-the-economy-has-turned-the-corner

[livetohike]

1. Done! n/t

[SmellyFeet]

2. Fuck no. Anyone that says otherwise is a fool. n/t

[JaneQPublic]

3. Welcome to DU.

[trumad]

7. Really---

We're much better off than Jan. 2009.

[Motown_Johnny]

9. It hasn't recovered from the damage Reagan did but it has started to recover

from some of the damage Shrub did.


So it depends on your definition of what real recovery is.

[abowsh]

12. I tend to agree with you

labor participation rate


We are seeing some positive signs, but there are still some scary numbers out there. Much of our decline in unemployment has been a result of a decrease in the labor participation rate. People are dropping out of U3 and falling into U4-6.
U5-unemployment
http://portalseven.com/employment/unemployment_rate_u5.jsp

As you see, a more accurate measure of unemployment is not improving much. One thing we have seen in the last few years is the ability of corporations to trim the fat and become more efficient. Sadly, much of this "fat" is workers. In time, we will readjust and the workforce will catch up, but that will take some time.

[Motown_Johnny]

14. you need to compare apples with apples

I am all for using a more accurate measurement of employment but we will need to revise numbers from the country's past to be able to compare where we are historically.


People are not used to seeing a 15% number for unemployment. Throwing that out there now without context would give an inaccurate impression of where we are now.

[abowsh]

15. Correct, I'm not trying to compare them, just point out a more accurate measure

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/whats-at-stake-in-fridays-jobs-report/

The economy has been growing now for 10 straight quarters. It has even made up the ground lost from the recession, and the United States now churns out more goods and services than it did before the downturn began in 2007. But that output is being produced with six million fewer workers, despite population growth.

This is what I was trying to get to. Greater efficiency is always good in the long run, but in the short run its going to be miserable for millions of Americans who lose their jobs because others are becoming more efficient.

[spanone]

13. anyone who ignores the obvious is a fool

[Broderick]

4. I am in the hope so category

I need it to rebound in a big way.

[Cognitive_Resonance]

5. The numbers are strong and broad-based. It's the real thing and the GOP's hating it. nt

[irisblue]

6. i voted to show DU love. n/t

[DefenseLawyer]

8. We need to address our trade policy

if we want to see real growth in anything other than the financial sector and service industries.

[madokie]

11. Here is where it is now

Yes
54%
No
38%
Not sure
8%