New Orders in Durable Goods increased +1.9% for May 2011. April was significantly revised to -2.7% from -3.6%.
Core capital goods new orders increased +1.6%, after declining -0.8% last month. Core capital goods is an investment gauge for the bet the private sector is placing on America's future economic growth.
Q1 GDP 2011 came in at 1.9% for the third revision, one tenth of a percentage point higher than the second revision. Here is the original BEA GDP report.
Initial weekly unemployment claims increased to 429,000. While the DOL reports this is a increase of 9,000, last week was revised upward by 6,000, from 414,000 to 420,000. The 4 week moving average is 426,250. A weekly average above 400,000 does not indicate job growth and we now have a pattern of perpetual disaster for U.S. citizens trying to earn a living.
Of course in the long run we're all dead, so I guess that depends on what your definition of temporary is. While the Federal Reserve FOMC meeting claims the never ending economic malaise is temporary, they just downgraded the economy.
The Money Party is a very small group of enterprises and individuals who control almost all of the money and power in the United States. They use their money and power to make more money and gain more power. It's not about Republicans versus Democrats. The Money Party is an equal opportunity employer. It has no permanent friends or enemies, just permanent interests. Democrats are as welcome as Republicans to this party. It’s all good when you’re on the take and the take is legal. Economic Populist
Negative job growth for eleven years is the best evidence concerning our economic troubles. There were 135 million jobs in 2000 for a workforce of 144 million. Today, there are 139 million jobs for a workforce of 154 million. That represents negative job growth when you factor in population growth.
The National Association of Realtors released their existing home sales figures and give an May decrease of 3.8%, annualized rate, from April. Existing home sales are now 15.3% below what they were one year ago.
The Supreme Court just landed a body blow to women. They sided with Wal-Mart on a class action sex discrimination lawsuit by blowing apart the class action status of the suit. The court was unanimous that the case was too big, yet the decision was split to let the case be reformed for another chance. The court ruled 5-4 against the women of Wal-Mart.
The case was seeking damages for 1.5 million women. In 2001, Wal-Mart had only 14% of women in management and 80% of women in the lowest paid positions. Wal-Mart also allowed local managers to use their own discretion in hiring and promotion decisions. NPR:
When the case was filed 10 years ago, women held two-thirds of the lowest-level hourly jobs and only one-third of the management jobs; and that women were paid on average $1.16 less per hour than men in the same jobs, despite having more seniority and higher performance ratings.
A lower court previously ruled the case should encompass all women who work at all Walmart stores. SCOTUS used the phrase commonality and quoted statistics to claim because 1.5 million women didn't have the same common experience, magically 1.5 million women at Wal-Mart are not subject to systemic discrimination. From the actual ruling:
The never ending Greek tragedy goes on and on, with bail outs, austerity demands (codespeak to screw the poor and middle class), and votes of no confidence in government officials. All of this raucous is interspersed with violent protests. Now Europe is in talks for a second bail out, about the same as the first one, or $157 billion.
The Money Party is a very small group of enterprises and individuals who control almost all of the money and power in the United States. They use their money and power to make more money and gain more power. It's not about Republicans versus Democrats. The Money Party is an equal opportunity employer. It has no permanent friends or enemies, just permanent interests. Democrats are as welcome as Republicans to this party. It’s all good when you’re on the take and the take is legal. 
The Supreme Court just landed a body blow to women. They sided with Wal-Mart on a class action sex discrimination lawsuit by blowing apart the class action status of the suit. The court was unanimous that the case was too big, yet the decision was split to let the case be reformed for another chance. The court ruled 5-4 against the women of Wal-Mart. 
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