Hello Friend, Labor Day is behind us, but the question at the heart of it should stay with us: What does it mean to honor work if all people who want to work cannot find work that allows them to live with dignity? Over the past several months, I have carried that question with me… Read More Be Honest: Who Gets to Thrive in the Economy We’re Building?
By Frank Stricker September 21, 2026 In the latest job report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the official unemployment rate was low again at 4.1%. If that number fully measured unemployment, we might be close to full employment. We at NJFAN, and others too, believe that real unemployment is much higher. We estimate… Read More The Jobs Report for August 2026: Minor Improvements and Much Confusion
By Frank Stricker August 20, 2026 The government’s report on jobs and unemployment in July appeared on August 7, 2026. It was published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as The Employment Situation—July 2026. Some of the basics look pretty good. The official unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, which is, by mainstream standards, quite low… Read More The Latest Job Calamity—Mostly Home-Made
By Frank Stricker July 16, 2026 The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ jobs and unemployment report for June showed a kind of tale of two cities. The unemployment rate fell a tenth of a percentage point to 4.2%. If this were a true indicator and this were all we had, we could celebrate. Anything around 4%… Read More Jobs and No Jobs in June of 2026, and Beyond
By Frank Stricker June 15, 2026 Many of the numbers did not change much in the latest BLS jobs report. The official unemployment rate was 4.3%, and the rate has been around that number for the past year. Real unemployment, as illustrated in NJFAN’s Full Count under Hidden Unemployment, is twice as high. As usual,… Read More The Unemployment Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2026—and More
