South By North Strategies, Ltd.

Unemployment Insurance Recipiency

A recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found that “only 67% of the unemployed workers in the U.S. were collecting unemployment insurance in the fourth quarter of 2009.”  This high recipiency rate is attributable to the emergency federal extensions, and without them, ” fewer than half of the country’s unemployed would be collecting unemployment.”

The map below shows recipiency rates by state during the fourth quarter of 2009.

Around The Dial – May 24

Economic policy reports, blog postings, and media stories of interest:

• Paul Krugman looks “down the memory hole.”
• The News & Record (NC) asks if data centers are the new textile mills.
• The San Francisco Chronicle reports on problems with loan modifications.
• Robert Reich explains the politics of “closing tax loopholes for billionaire.”

South by North Strategies In The News

South by North Strategies’ analysis of state employment conditions in April was featured in a number of media outlets.

• The Winston-Salem Journal: “N.C. jobless rate dips to to a 12-month low”
• The News & Observer: “Fewer jobless, anxiety steady”
• The Charlotte Observer: “N.C’s jobless rate dips for 2nd month”

The Future of Financial Reform

The PBS NewsHour reports on the financial reform legislation and discusses the issues to be addressed during the final legislative negotiations.

Around The Dial – May 21

Economic policy reports, blog postings, and media stories of interest:

• CEPR analyzes the April consumer price index data while the Atlanta Fed offers its own take.
• Calculated Risk looks at mortgage delinquencies by state.
• Robert Skidelsky, the noted biographer of Keynes, weighs “the price of clarity.”
• Paul Krugman wonders if the U.S. is “turning Japanese.”