Skip to main content

Shocking News in the Unemployment Report

Last Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released their May Employment Situation SummaryLeading up to the release, most experts predicted the unemployment rate would jump up to approximately 20% from the 14.7% rate announced last month.

The experts were shocked.

I don’t usually check my Twitter feed for good news, so I was surprised last Friday when this came up and recorded it on my iPhone.

The announcer was literally stunned.
(Listen to the first 30 seconds).

He ends the report saying,
“So this does show that the US economy is perhaps a lot more resilient than what we anticipated.”

The Wall Street Journal announced the news this way:

“The May U.S. jobless rate fell to 13.3% and employers added 2.5 million jobs, blowing Wall Street expectations out of the water: Economists had forecast a loss of 8.3 million jobs and a 19.5% unemployment rate.”

WSJ

In addition CNBC revealed:

“The May gain was by far the biggest one-month jobs surge in U.S. history since at least 1939.”

CNBC

What Kind of Jobs Were Added On?

  • Food Service and Bartenders – 1,400,000
  • Construction – 464,000
  • Education and Health Services – 424,000
  • Retail – 368,000
  • Other Services – 272,000
  • Manufacturing – 225,000
  • Professional Services – 127,000

There’s still a long way to go before the economy fully recovers, as 21 million Americans remain unemployed. That number is down, however, from 23 million just last month. And, of the 21 million in the current report, 73% feel their layoff is temporary. This aligns with a recent Federal Reserve Bank report that showed employers felt 75% of the job losses are temporary layoffs and furloughs.

The Employment Situation Summary was definitely a pleasant surprise, and evidence that the country’s economic turnaround is underway. The data also offers a labor-market snapshot from mid-May, when the government conducted its monthly survey of households and businesses. Many states did not open for business until the second half of May. This bodes well for next month’s jobs report.

We cannot rejoice over a report that reveals millions of American families are still without work. We can, however, feel relieved that we are headed in the right direction, and much more quickly than most anticipated.

The information contained, and the opinions expressed, in this article are not intended to be construed as investment advice. Finding Homes for You, Inc. does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. Finding Homes for You, Inc. will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on the information or opinions contained herein.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.