“Fewer Jobs Lost” is Not a Positive Trend

The Post-Gazette has a story on Pennsylvania’s economy in which both Mark Price of Keystone Research Center and the reporter both repeat the illogical idea that we are losing fewer jobs than in previous months, which is a good sign. This spin is an effort to claim “the stimulus is working, so we need another”, but requires complete economic ignorance.

The state had fewer jobs to begin with, and now it has fewer jobs still. After the loss of 8,000 non-farm jobs in December, Pennsylvania has fewer jobs than at any point since 1999. In fact, over the last year, Pennsylvania has lost jobs, lost labor force participants, and added to the unemployment roles at a faster pace than the national average. (see table from the PA Department of Labor and Industry)

PA Jobs in 2007-09 Recession