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Gary Burtless: Job Numbers to Be Worse in October

Nonfarm jobs (“total nonfarm payroll employment”) rose by 148,000 in September, and the unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, according to the delayed report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Gary Burtles, when asked if he expected October’s employment numbers to be about the same, told Bloomberg TV: “I expect them to be worse.” Watch the interview below:

 

Earlier, Gary Burtless wrotes that “job growth over the past four months [has] been close to the average pace of gain over the economic recovery” but the October employment numbers should reduce this number. 

Justin Wolfers said that “These aren’t the sort of employment numbers that would make me feel confident that it’s OK to shut down the government and raise default fears.”

George Perry has said that “we’re growing well below our economic potential.”

Here’s more of what they are saying:



Get more analysis of job numbers from Brookings scholars.