Hi, my wife and I were just discussing about the unemployment going up. We were wondering as to which segment gets hits first when unemployment rises. Is it the minimum wage people that get unemployed first or is it the professionals? Does anybody know how to find this out?

c'mon..i'm giving a chance for some of you to show your stuff.. somebody answer...dharma? mike? FT? sedan? DF? Fool?

Personally I do not put much stock in government unemployment numbers, especially from this particular government.

However, the fact that they cannot cover this up anymore (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/04/business/usecon.php)is worrying.

The U.S. unemployment rate surged to 5 percent in December as the nation added only 18,000 jobs, the smallest monthly increase in four years, the Labor Department reported Friday. Economists absorbed the report as the most powerful signal to date that the United States is likely headed for recession.

"This is unambiguously negative," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "The economy is on the edge of recession, if we're not already engulfed in one."

i know certain regions get hit hardest first. like west virginia.
the numbers never reflect those who are self employed, like me, and get work whenever and wherever they can. and it doesn't reflect those who get knocked off the unemployment benefits rolls because they ran out of money. it doesn't reflect those who just gave up.
it doesn't reflect those who tried for welfare when all else failed and end up homeless, living with friends or family. they are the ghost numbers that never get counted in real life.

Hi, my wife and I were just discussing about the unemployment going up. We were wondering as to which segment gets hits first when unemployment rises. Is it the minimum wage people that get unemployed first or is it the professionals? Does anybody know how to find this out?
it's a whopping 5%, don't lose any sleep over it unless you're in construction or real estate.

the sector that is having a rough time takes the brunt of it 1st, then the support industries.

it's a whopping 5%, don't lose any sleep over it unless you're in construction or real estate.

the sector that is having a rough time takes the brunt of it 1st, then the support industries.

Yeah I am not losing sleeping..just trying to figure out who, on the economic ladder, are unemployed.

Yeah I am not losing sleeping..just trying to figure out who, on the economic ladder, are unemployed.
right now, mostly construction workers, building supply employees, real estate office employees ( the agents themselves will be ok, just hungry) and loan officers. from there it should trickle down to retail sales and durable goods.

I take it that this is a fall back on the subprime scandel.

Fewer houses gettin built, and real estate going nowhere.