

U.S. jobless claims surge to 26-year high (highest since October 1982) - jadence
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE51439X20090205

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curtis
It's not entirely clear from the article, but it looks like they're measuring
jobless claims in absolute terms, rather than by percentage of population. The
population of the U.S. has grown by about 70 million people since 1982.

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vaksel
The actual # of unemployed is most likely higher than the reported #s. They
stop counting a person as unemployed after they stop receiving the
unemployment checks, no matter if they found a job or ran out of time

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jadence
I won't refute you on that (someone once posted a article here on HN that
discussed this) however the linked article for this thread is specifically
about people filing for unemployment for the first time. Thus your point that
"They stop counting a person as unemployed after they stop receiving the
unemployment checks, no matter if they found a job or ran out of time" doesn't
taint the stat of a 26-year high for filings for _new_ claims.

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jncraton
I guess I will have to start my own business after I finish school instead of
trying to squeeze my way on to the corporate ladder.

I'll be honest, I'm not overly worried about unemployment. Good ideas will
still be able to take off, and talent that may have previously unavailable to
a startup will now be easier to acquire. Unemployment is a huge problem and I
feel for everyone I know who has been affected by the recent downturn, but I
sincerely believe that it is our job as entrepreneurs to help alleviate this
problem.

