Read

Why the Next Jobs Report Matters More Than the Last

David Leonhardt, The New York Times Just before the jobs report came out a month ago, I argued that it was probably less important than the report...

David Leonhardt, The New York Times Just before the jobs report came out a month ago, I argued that it was probably less important than the report that would come out a month later. That month has now passed, and Friday’s jobs report remains as significant as ever. More than any other data, the numbers in the new report will indicate whether the economic slowdown of March and April was largely a statistical blip. A solid monthly jobs gain in May — at least 150,000, if not closer to 200,000 — would suggest that the recovery remains on track. Anything below 150,000 would suggest that Europe’s troubles, high gas prices and the continuing hangover from the American debt bubble had caused a spring slowdown for the third straight year. Read More