The unemployment statistics are published monthly on the website run by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and there are many analysis reports supporting the published rate data.
The persistently high unemployment rate is broken down by segment in a occupation based table with every segment showing a very flat 2010. Statistics are for November 2010 vs. November 2009. On January 7, 2011, we can see December's numbers.
Will the recovery begin to add 100,000 jobs a month on average any time soon?
We are finishing the year with gas prices above $3 in most regions. This is high for this time of year. We are far from the high $4 to $5 a gallon we lived through during the summer of 2008.
The folks on AgWeb have a 17 minute audio clip focusing on high prices for grains. The clip is produced mainly for the farming industry. The industry benefits from high prices they can sell their grains for in the short run.
The worldwide demand for both food and fuel will have a major impact on the 2011 economy.
