Unemployment Explodes Like An Intergalactic Supernova
Associated Press Article Goes Just A Bit Overboard on Hyperbole
Remember the good old days when business news was boring? Unemployment either “rose” or “fell” and was then followed by some dry statistics.
Not any more. In the age of media excess where every announcement has to be accompanied by a tumbling graphic or a hologram of a reporter, even the Associated Press is getting into the shrieking hyperbole game.
According to the AP, this week’s unemployment rate didn’t “increase” or even “jump” to a new 14-year high. In what was probably meant to be a serious business article, the unemployment rate “bolted” to a 6.5% level, offering “stark proof” that the “crucial” job market is “deteriorating” at an “alarmingly rapid” pace.
In addition, the unemployment rate “zoomed” with a “whopping” 284,000 jobs “axed” for a “staggering” year-to-date total of 1.2 million jobs lost.
Man! I need to walk around the room for a minute just to catch my breath before the End of Days hits.
We could be under attack by flesh-eating zombies and the graphic descriptions in this article would still be a bit excessive.
How about a little historical perspective? The following chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the past sixty years.
We’re kind of in the middle of things, unemployment-wise. If you look at the last 20 years, you could even make the case we’re still a little below average.
Note to AP business writers: The recession is just starting. You may want to keep your Thesaurus on the shelf until things get really bad.
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Relax, people. The great thing about suicide is you can always do it later…
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Photo credit: EveryStockPhoto.com
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