The Private-Sector Recovery

[Xiahou]

You're misreading the numbers. Private sector employment has been up for seven quarters, I believe. Maybe more. I'd have to Google it, and I'm on deadline. The graphs I posted are of public-sector employment.

Your chart looks a little 'weasely' to me.... Look at the source, "author's analysis".

Setting that aside, it doesn't chart changes in private sector employment. I think that'd be useful when comparing the recessions. We're 5 years from the start of our current recession and our private sector job growth is still extremely anemic. The last numbers for March to April are only 119,000 private sector jobs. The figure for required job growth just to keep up with population is usually pegged at 150,000.

Private sector job growth isn't even enough to keep up with population growth. The only reason the unemployment % crept down is because record numbers of workers are becoming discouraged and leaving the work force.