http://www.thedailymuse.com/breakroom/insane-jobs-that-pay-more-than-youd-ever-believe/?utm_campaign=mobile&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=outbrain

Insane Jobs That Pay More Than You’d Ever Believe

by Brooke Torres, October 10, 2013 — 27 Comments

It’s probably no shock to you that the average surgeon’s salary is higher than that of a recent grad at an entry-level position. But we were curious: What jobs pay a surprisingly high or low amount—and how do they stack up against other salaries?
For a fun game, see if you can guess which of these jobs pays higher than the other. Hint: The answers may surprise you!

Film and Video Editors vs. Radio and TV Announcers

Answer: Film and video editors
Editors bring in an average of $66,690 annually, while radio and TV announcers earn $40,510. 

Farmers, Ranchers, and Agricultural Managers vs. Legislators

Answer: Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers
That’s right—on average, the men and women who work in the field earn $70,000 per year, while legislators bring in just $38,800 (we were shocked, too!).

Bingo Managers vs. Models

Answer: Bingo managers
Turns out, Gisele’s salary isn’t the norm. Models earn an average of $42,560 annually, while bingo managers make $56,590.

Private Detectives and Investigators vs. Make-up Artists

Answer: Make-up artists
On average, make-up artists make $63,700, while private detectives and investigators earn roughly $47,800.

Sommeliers vs. Flight Attendants

Answer: Sommeliers
Sipping (er, recommending) wine for a living can earn you $50,870 per year, while flight attendants make an average of $41,720. 

Elevator Inspectors vs. Embalmers

Answer: Elevator inspectors
You’d think embalmers would have a pretty tough gig, but they make, on average, just $44,200. Elevator inspectors, on the other hand, command $59,400.

Jobs visualizatioin

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/economic_surveys/cb13-193.html

Pension inequality

http://www.moneynews.com/Economy/inequality-CEO-Pensions-401k/2013/11/17/id/537095

Latest Inequality Measure: CEO Pensions vs. Workers' 401(k)s

Sunday, 17 Nov 2013 05:59 PM

By Michelle Smith

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Financial disparities between executives and their workers aren't limited to salaries and stock options. CEOs' pensions are also hundreds of times larger than workforce retirement savings.

Executive compensation is a hot-button topic. Perhaps new data from NerdWalletexplains why. It shows the average CEO at the nation's top 10 companies earns over 550 times more than an average employee.

And, as American workers are forewarned of an ensuing retirement crisis, NerdWallet says the CEOs at top companies are amassing huge pensions.

On average, their pensions are 239 times larger than the average employee’s 401(k) balance.

Editor’s Note: New Video Exposes a ‘Great Retirement Heist’ 

According to the data, the most drastic divide is seen at Walmart. Valued at over $113 million, CEO Michael Duke's pension is 6,182 times larger than his average non-executive employee's retirement hoard.

Walmart's 401(k) plan is reportedly valued at $18.1 billion, and covers about 1 million employees, for an average of $18,000 in savings per person.

The smallest disparity is seen at Oracle Corp. The company does not offer a pension but CEO Larry Ellison has a deferred compensation plan. It's valued at about $14.8 million. That's 97 times higher than the average 401(k) balance of $153,000.

For the eight companies between Oracle and Walmart, CEO pensions range from 129 times larger to 943 times larger than employee retirement accounts.

NerdWallet has rolled out this data as the Securities & Exchange Commission is pushing for a rule requiring publicly traded companies to publicize the gap between executive and worker pay.

SEC commissioner Michael Piwowar is critical of the proposal. Reuters says he argues, “proponents have acknowledged the sole objective of the pay ratio [rule] is to shame CEOs.”

But, the shame should be on the five SEC commissioners, including himself, because they have no business considering this type of rule, Piwowar says.

Commissioner Luis Aguilar, disagrees, saying disclosure could provide valuable new perspective for compensation decisions. “As owners of public companies, shareholders have the right to know whether CEO pay multiples reflect CEO performance,” Reutersquotes Aguilar as saying.

“The simple fact is that large pay disparities between CEOs and their employees affect a company'sperformance,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told Reuters. “When the CEO receives the lion's share of compensation, employee productivity, morale and loyalty suffer.”

Dana Lime, product manager at NerdWallet, expects that to happen in light of its newly released data. “Maybe CEOS won't be bothered, but I think workers will,” Lime toldCNBC.

Lime also expects the research to prompt change.

“This will be a wake-up call in terms of governance. There's going to be pressure just from a political standpoint to bring those multiples down,” he said.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.moneynews.com/Economy/inequality-CEO-Pensions-401k/2013/11/17/id/537095#ixzz2l70ERZJK
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!

Obamacare numbers

http://money.cnn.com/interactive/economy/obamacare-enrollment/?iid=EL

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Obama administration on Wednesday released a boatload of numbers about initial sign-ups for Obamacare coverage.

What's clear is that the administration has a long way to go before hitting estimated enrollment figures. Technical troubles on both state and federal sites have made it tough for many people to create accounts and select plans.

The administration promises that the federal site, healthcare.gov, will be running smoothly for the "vast majority" of visitors by the end of the month.

The open enrollment period ends March 31. People must sign up and pay for insurance plans by Dec. 15 if they want coverage to start Jan. 1.

The figures released reflect sign-ups between Oct. 1 and Nov. 2 on the federal exchange, which handles enrollment for 36 states, and 11 state sites that have reported.

Here are the key figures:

1. Registered on an exchange and determined eligible to enroll in a health insurance plan or Medicaid: 1,477,853

2. Signed up for health insurance plan, but not necessarily paid: 106,185

3. Signed up through the federal exchange, healthcare.gov: 26,794

4. Signed up through 11 state-based exchanges: 79,391

5. Not yet picked an insurance plan: 975,407

6. Deemed eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program: 396,261

7. Deemed eligible for federal subsidies: 326,130, or 22% of total.

8. State with the most sign-ups: California with 35,364

9. State with the fewest sign-ups: North Dakota with 42

10. Visitors to state and federal exchanges: 26.9 million

Minimum wage increase

http://www.moneynews.com/US/Gallup-9-minimum-wage/2013/11/11/id/536067

Gallup Poll: Americans Strongly Favor $9 Minimum Wage

Monday, 11 Nov 2013 09:23 PM

By Cathy Burke

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Most Americans favor giving minimum-wage workers a pay raise to $9 an hour, a Gallup pollreleased Monday showed.

The survey found that 76 percent of Americans would support a law to increase the minimum wage from its current $7.25 -- up 5 percentage points since March. Twenty-two percent said they'd reject the $9-an-hour minimum.

New Jersey voters, by 61 percent to 39 percent, amended the state constitution last week to raise the Garden State's minimum wage $1 to $8.25.

In SeaTac, Wash., residents voted on a ballot measure to raise the minimum wage to $15; the votes are still being counted. If the measure passes, it will create the highest minimum wage in the country, Politico reported.

On Capitol Hill last Thursday, Democrats huddled to consider a proposal to hike the federal minimum wage to as much as $10.10 an hour, and the Senate could consider the measure as soon as next week, Politico reported.

"Despite President Barack Obama's State of the Union call to raise the wage to $9 -- and widespread rallies populated mainly by hourly fast-food workers -- legislation that would accomplish this goal has thus far languished," the Gallup poll analysis said.

The poll said Republicans are least supportive of hiking the minimum wage to $9 but not tethering it to inflation, with 58 percent saying they would vote in favor and 39 percent against it. By comparison, 91 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of independents would favor it.

In the GOP-dominated House last March, lawmakers voted down a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2015, with all Republicans voting against it, the poll noted.

The survey of 1,040 adults was conducted Nov. 4-5 and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.moneynews.com/US/Gallup-9-minimum-wage/2013/11/11/id/536067#ixzz2kTTird3G
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!



http://www.newsmax.com/ThomasSowell/Domestic-Minimum-Wage-Jobs/2013/10/01/id/528719

Domestic Minimum Wage Law Kills Jobs

Tuesday, 01 Oct 2013 04:29 PM

By Thomas Sowell

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Despite evidence from around the world that minimum wage laws can price low-skilled workers out of jobs, the U.S. Department of Labor is planning to extend minimum wage coverage to domestic workers, such as maids or those who drop in from time to time to do a few household chores for the sick and the elderly.

 

This coverage is scheduled to begin in January 2015 — that is, after the 2014 elections and nearly two years before the 2016 elections. Politicians show a lot of cleverness in protecting their own interests, even if they show very little wisdom as far as serving the public interest.

 

If making household workers subject to the minimum wage law is expected to produce good results, why not let those good results begin early, so that voters will know about them before the next election?

 

But, if this new extension of the minimum wage law opens a whole new can of worms — as is more likely — politicians who support this extension want to insulate themselves from a voter backlash. Hence artfully choosing January 2015 as the effective date, to minimize the political risks to themselves.

 

The reason this particular extension of the minimum wage law is likely to open a can of worms is that both household workers and those who employ them will face more complications than employers and employees in industry or commerce.

 

First of all, ill or elderly individuals who need someone to help them from time to time are not like employers who have a business that regularly hires people and may have a personnel department to handle all the paperwork and keep up with all the legal requirements when government bureaucrats are involved.

 

Often the very reason for hiring part-time household workers is that some ill or elderly individuals have limited energy or capacity for handling things that were easy to handle when they were younger or in better health. Bureaucratic paperwork and legal technicalities are the last thing they need to have to add to their existing problems.

 

The people being hired to do household chores also have special problems. Often such people have limited education, and may also have limited knowledge of the English language.

 

Why make it harder for ill or elderly people to get some much-needed help in their homes, and harder for low-skilled people to get some much-needed jobs?

 

Despite all the talk about how we need more people with high-tech skills, there is also a need for people who can help clean a home or carry groceries or do other things that need doing, and which do not require years of schooling. As the elderly become an ever growing proportion of the population, there will be a growing demand for such people.

 

More precisely, there would be more jobs for such people if the government did not step in to complicate the hiring process and price potential workers out of jobs, with minimum wages set by third parties who do not, and cannot, know what the economic realities are for either the ill and the elderly or for those whom the ill and the elderly wish to hire.

 

Minimum wage laws in general are usually set with no real knowledge of the economic realities and alternatives for either employers or employees. Third parties are simply enabled to indulge themselves by imagining what is "fair" — and pay no price for being wrong about the actual economic consequences.

 

That is why countries with minimum wage laws usually have much higher rates of unemployment than those few places where there have been no minimum wage laws, such as Switzerland or Singapore — or the United States, before the first federal minimum wage law was passed in 1931.

 

Government interventions in labor markets have already created needless complications, and not just by minimum wage laws. The welfare state has already taken out of the labor market millions of people who could perform work that would be well within the capacity of inexperienced young people or people with limited education.

 

With welfare, such people can stay home, watch television, do drugs or whatever — or else they can hang out in the streets, often confirming the old adage that the devil finds work for idle hands.

 

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/ThomasSowell/Domestic-Minimum-Wage-Jobs/2013/10/01/id/528719#ixzz2kTTfWpcN
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!

Gas Prices

http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx?time=24
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-11/beware-of-falling-gas-prices-ritholtz-chart.html

GDP

http://mam.econoday.com/byshoweventfull.asp?fid=456061&cust=mam&year=2013&lid=0&prev=/byweek.asp#top

GDP

Released On 11/7/2013 8:30:00 AM For Q3a:2013 Prior Consensus Consensus Range Actual Real GDP - Q/Q change - SAAR 2.5 % 2.0 % 1.5 % to 2.7 % 2.8 % GDP price index - Q/Q change - SAAR 0.6 % 1.4 % 0.9 % to 1.9 % 1.9 %

Highlights GDP growth for the third quarter surprised on the high side but inventories played a big role. Real GDP grew 2.8 percent in the third quarter, following a 2.5 percent rise the quarter before. Analysts projected a 2.0 percent rise. By contributions to growth, it was a mix. PCEs rose an annualized 1.5 percent, contributing 1.04 percentage points to GDP. Inventories gained $86.0 billion, following a $56.6 billion increase in the second quarter-leading to a third quarter contribution of 0.83 percentage points. However, PCEs slowed for the quarter after a 1.8 percent increase in the second quarter. Net exports played a notable role in the boost to GDP growth but in the wrong way. Import growth decelerated to 1.9 percent, following a 6.9 percent jump in the second quarter. Essentially, demand slowed. Exports grew but at a slower pace of 4.5 percent versus 8.0 percent in the second quarter. Housing investment remained healthy as did nonresidential structures. Equipment investment slipped while government purchases were basically flat. But overall demand is sluggish. Final sales of domestic product rose 2.0 percent in the third quarter after a 2.1 percent increase the prior period. Final sales to domestic purchasers softened to a 1.7 percent gain, following a 2.1 percent rise in the second quarter. Inflation was a little warmer than expected. The overall GDP price index rose 1.9 percent, following a 0.6 percent annualized gain in the second quarter. Market expectations were for a 1.4 percent annualized gain. Excluding food and energy, inflation was 1.9 percent in the third quarter, following a 0.9 percent rise the previous quarter. Overall, the economy is not as strong as the headline suggests. We may see some pullback in the fourth quarter on inventories. On the news, equities were little changed.

Market Consensus before announcement GDP for the third estimate for the second quarter was left unchanged at an annualized rate of 2.5 percent compared to the second estimate and compared to a first quarter rise of 1.1 percent. The biggest positive note was that demand numbers were bumped up slightly-though remained sluggish. Final sales of domestic product were revised up to 2.1 percent from the second estimate of 1.9 percent. This series increased 0.2 percent in the first quarter. Final sales to domestic producers (which exclude net exports) also were nudged up to 2.1 percent versus the second estimate of 1.9 percent. This followed a 0.5 percent gain in the first quarter. Headline inflation for the GDP price index was revised down to 0.6 percent compared to the second estimate of a 0.8 percent annualized inflation rate. When excluding food and energy, inflation for the second quarter was nudged down to 0.9 percent from the second estimate of 1.1 percent annualized.

Definition Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the broadest measure of aggregate economic activity and encompasses every sector of the economy.  Why Investors Care

Real GDP growth is always quoted at a quarterly annual rate. It measures how much the economy has grown over a three-month period. Quarterly growth rates are often volatile; consequently, economists also like to look at the year-over-year growth in GDP. The yearly changes tend to be more stable. Data Source: Haver Analytics

It is common to compare quarterly changes at annual rates in the GDP deflator. These can be volatile, just like the quarterly swings in real GDP growth; as a result, the trend in inflation is better determined by year- over- year changes. Data Source: Haver Analytics

Top 10 most underrated jobs in 2013

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101038179/page/1

Unemployment - official release

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_10222013.htm

Employment Situation News Release

Transmission of material in this release is embargoed                         USDL-13-2035
until 8:30 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Technical information: 
 Household data: (202) 691-6378  *  cpsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cps
 Establishment data: (202) 691-6555  *  cesinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/ces

Media contact:         (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


  THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- SEPTEMBER 2013


Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 148,000 in September, and the unemployment rate
was little changed at 7.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Employment increased in construction, wholesale trade, and transportation and warehousing.

Household Survey Data

The unemployment rate, at 7.2 percent, changed little in September but has declined by
0.4 percentage point since June. The number of unemployed persons, at 11.3 million, was
also little changed over the month; however, unemployment has decreased by 522,000 since
June. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (7.1 percent), adult
women (6.2 percent), teenagers (21.4 percent), whites (6.3 percent), blacks (12.9 percent),
and Hispanics (9.0 percent) showed little or no change in September. The jobless rate for
Asians was 5.3 percent (not seasonally adjusted), little changed from a year earlier. 
(See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

In September, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more)
was little changed at 4.1 million. These individuals accounted for 36.9 percent of the
unemployed. The number of long-term unemployed has declined by 725,000 over the past
year. (See table A-12.)

Both the civilian labor force participation rate, at 63.2 percent, and the employment-
population ratio at 58.6 percent, were unchanged in September. Over the year, the labor
force participation rate has declined by 0.4 percentage point, while the employment-
population ratio has changed little. (See table A-1.)

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to
as involuntary part-time workers) was unchanged at 7.9 million in September. These
individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they
were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.)

In September, 2.3 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force, down from
2.5 million a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals
were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a
job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they
had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 852,000 discouraged workers in September,
essentially unchanged from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.)
Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe
no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.5 million persons marginally attached
to the labor force in September had not searched for work for reasons such as school
attendance or family responsibilities. (See table A-16.)

Establishment Survey Data

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 148,000 in September, with gains in
construction, wholesale trade, and transportation and warehousing. Over the prior
12 months, employment growth averaged 185,000 per month. (See table B-1.)

Employment in construction rose by 20,000 in September, after showing little change
over the prior 6 months.

Employment in wholesale trade rose by 16,000 in September. Over the prior 12 months,
this industry added an average of 7,000 jobs per month.  

Transportation and warehousing added 23,000 jobs in September. Most of the increase
occurred in transit and ground passenger transportation (+18,000).

In September, employment in professional and business services continued to expand
(+32,000). Over the prior 12 months, employment growth in this industry averaged
52,000 per month.  Employment in temporary help services continued to trend up in
September (+20,000).

Within retail trade, job gains occurred in building material and garden supply stores
(+5,000) and in automobile dealers (+4,000). In the financial activities industry,
employment in credit intermediation and related activities declined by 8,000 in
September.

Employment in health care changed little (+7,000) in September. Thus far in 2013,
health care has added an average of 19,000 jobs per month, compared with an average
monthly increase of 27,000 in 2012. 

Within leisure and hospitality, employment in food services and drinking places was
essentially unchanged over the month (-7,000). Job growth in this industry averaged
28,000 per month over the prior 12 months. 

Employment in other major industries, including mining and logging, manufacturing,
information, and government, showed little change in September. 

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged in
September at 34.5 hours. In manufacturing, the workweek was 40.8 hours, the same as
in August, and overtime was unchanged at 3.4 hours. The average workweek for
production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged
at 33.7 hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)

In September, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls
rose by 3 cents to $24.09. Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by 49
cents, or 2.1 percent. In September, average hourly earnings of private-sector
production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 4 cents to $20.24. 
(See tables B-3 and B-8.)

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for July was revised from +104,000 to
+89,000, and the change for August was revised from +169,000 to +193,000. With these
revisions, employment gains in July and August combined were 9,000 more than previously
reported.

_____________
The Employment Situation for October is scheduled to be released on Friday,
November 8, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. (EST). This release was originally scheduled
for Friday, November 1, 2013, but was rescheduled because of the recent partial
Federal government shutdown.

   ________________________________________________________________________________
  |                                                                                |
  |                           Federal Government Shutdown                          |
  |                                                                                |
  | The release of these data occurs about 2 weeks later than originally scheduled |
  | because of the recent partial Federal government shutdown. Data collection for |
  | the estimates in this release had been completed prior to the shutdown in      |
  | accordance with our normal schedule. However, the processing of some estimates |
  | and the production of the Employment Situation news release were delayed due   |
  | to the shutdown.                                                               |
  |________________________________________________________________________________|

http://mam.econoday.com/byshoweventfull.asp?fid=456028&cust=mam&year=2013&lid=0&prev=/byweek.asp#top

Employment Situation


Released On 10/22/2013 8:30:00 AM For Sep, 2013

Prior
Prior Revised
Consensus
Consensus Range
Actual
Nonfarm Payrolls - M/M change
169,000 
193,00 
185,000 
155,000  to 240,000 
148,000 
Unemployment Rate - Level
7.3 %
7.3 %
7.1 % to 7.4 %
7.2 %
Average Hourly Earnings - M/M change
0.2 %
0.2 %
0.1 % to 0.3 %
0.1 %
Av Workweek - All Employees
34.5 hrs
34.5 hrs
34.4 hrs to 34.6 hrs
34.5 hrs
Private Payrolls - M/M change
152,000 
161,000 
184,000 
154,000  to 245,000 
126,000 






Highlights
The payroll data and household numbers were mixed in September at the headline level but soft in detail. Markets were looking over their collective shoulder at the Fed. Total payroll jobs in September advanced 148,000, following a revised increase of 193,000 for August (originally up 169,000) and after a revised gain of 89,000 for July (previous estimate was 104,000). The consensus forecast was for a 184,000 gain for the latest month. The net revisions for July and August were up 9,000. 

The unemployment rate slipped to 7.2 percent after dipping to 7.3 percent in August. Analysts expected a 7.3 percent unemployment rate. But the improvement was largely related to a decline in the pool of available workers, affecting the number of unemployed.

Turning back to payroll data, growth in recent months has been on a slowing trend. Private payrolls gained 126,000, following an increase of 161,000 in August (originally 152,000). The median forecast was for a 184,000 rise.

Goods-producing jobs improved to a gain of 26,000 in September from a rise of 18,000 the prior month. Strength was in construction which jumped 20,000 while mining rose 3,000 and manufacturing edged up 2,000 (sector data are rounded).

Private service-providing jobs increased 100,000 in September after a 143,000 rise in August. The September advance was led by professional and business services (up 32,000), retail trade (up 21,000), and professional & business services (up 32,000). On a negative note, leisure and hospitality fell 13,000 while financial services dipped 2,000. The weakness in leisure and hospitality suggests a cutback in discretionary spending by the consumer.

Government jobs rose 22,000 in September after gaining 21,000 in August. 

Wage growth eased in September, rising only 0.1 percent for average hourly earnings, following 0.2 percent the month before. Expectations were for a 0.2 percent gain. The average workweek held steady at 34.5 hours, matching the consensus projection.

Details about the decline in the unemployment rate confirm the view of many at the Fed that it is not necessarily the best view of the labor market. The labor force rebounded 73,000 after dropping 312,000 in August. Household employment rebounded 133,000 after falling 115,000 in August while the number of unemployed dipped 61,000, following a 198,000 drop in August. However, the pool of available workers fell another 183,000 after a plunge of 532,000 in August-resulting in the fourth decline in a row. Again, a low labor force participation rate is at least partly behind the easing unemployment rate.

On the news, equity futures rose modestly even though payrolls fell below expectations. Markets apparently see the numbers leading to the Fed continuing to postpone taper of asset purchases.


Market Consensus before announcement
Nonfarm payroll employment in August gained 169,000, following a revised increase of 104,000 for July (originally up 162,000) and after a revised advance of 172,000 for June (previous estimate was 188,000). The market median forecast was for a 175,000 gain for August. The net revisions for June and July were down 74,000. Private payrolls rose 152,000, following a gain of 127,000 in July (originally 161,000). Wage growth improved. Average hourly earnings rose 0.2 percent in August after no change the month before. Expectations were for a 0.2 percent gain. The average workweek was up slightly to 34.5 hours from 34.4 hours in July. Analysts forecast 34.5 hours. The unemployment rate dipped to 7.3 percent from 7.4 percent in July. However, the unemployment rate fell for the wrong reason. Turning to detail for the household survey, household employment in August fell 115,000 after jumping 227,000 in July. The labor force dropped 312,000, following a 37,000 dip in July. The number of unemployed declined 198,000 after a drop of 263,000 in July. Essentially, declining labor force participation is at least partly behind the easing in the unemployment rate. The soft labor market has led to a greater number of discouraged workers.

Definition
The employment situation is a set of labor market indicators based on two separate surveys in this one report. The unemployment rate equals the number of unemployed persons divided by the total number of persons in the labor force, which comes from a survey of 60,000 households (this is called the household survey). Workers are only counted once, no matter how many jobs they have, or whether they are only working part-time. In order to be counted as unemployed, one must be actively looking for work. Other commonly known figures from the Household Survey include the labor supply and discouraged workers.  Why Investors Care
 


During the mature phase of an economic expansion, monthly payrolls gains of 150,000 or so are considered relatively healthy. In the early stages of recovery though, gains are expected to surpass 250,000 per month. 
Data Source: Haver Analytics


 


The civilian unemployment rate is a lagging indicator of economic activity. During a recession, many people leave the labor force entirely, so the jobless rate may not increase as much as expected. This means that the jobless rate may continue to increase in the early stages of recovery because more people are returning to the labor force as they believe they will be able to find work. The civilian unemployment rate tends towards greater stability than payroll employment on a monthly basis. It reveals the degree to which labor resources are utilized in the economy. 
Data Source: Haver Analytics