Initial Jobless Claims Plunge Due To “Computer Upgrades” And “Faulty Reporting By States”
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
09/12/2013
A few days ago we showed what happens when the Bureau of Labor Statistics is caught in a blatant lie. And while we exposed the difference between the NFP and the JOLTS data series, which in some ways are the “stock” effect of labor, it meant that the BLS also had to adjust its “flow” component: the initial weekly claims. Lo and behold, moments ago the DOL just reported last week’s initial claims, which printed at a ridiculous 292K, 38K below expectations and the lowest level since April 2006, down from last week’s 323K. On the surface great news. The problem once again is that this was a bold faced lie. Only this time even the BLS admitted as much:
LABOR SAYS CLAIMS DROP DUE TO COMPUTER UPGRADES IN TWO STATES
LABOR SAYS FAULTY REPORTING BY STATES RESPONSIBLE FOR DROP
Specifically, a larger state and a smaller one that retooled their computer networks still provided the Labor Department with applications counts. Furthermore, the BLS also said that the decrease in filings probably didn’t signal a change in labor-market conditions. In other words, the number is garbage, and the BLS knows the reporting is faulty, but let’s go ahead and report it anyway.
The Rest…HERE
