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U.S. Unemployment Ticks Up To 7.9 Percent, White House Blames Congress

Feb. 1, 2013 9:13am Becket Adams

The unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

January nonfarm payrolls came in at approximately 157,000, missing expectations of a print of 165,000, pushing unemployment to 7.9 percent.

“In January, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was about unchanged at 4.7 million and accounted for 38.1 percent of the unemployed,” the report reads.

“The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons, at 8.0 million, changed little in January. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job,” the report adds.

Here’s unemployment broken up by group:

Men: 7.3 percent
Adult women: 7.3 percent
Teenagers: 23.4 percent
Whites: 7.0 percent
Blacks: 13.8 percent
Hispanics: 9.7 percent
Asians: 6.5 percent (not seasonally adjusted)

Oddly enough, U.S. stocks rose after the report was released:

“The seasonal adjustment for January was in line with expectations, or 2.120 million, as the actual decline in jobs December to January was a whopping 2.84 million,” Zero Hedge notes. “The NSA Birth/Death adjustment subtracted some 314K jobs in January.”

The labor force participation rate stay at about the same:

Courtesy Zero Hedge

For its part, the White House blames Congress.

“Today’s report is a reminder of the importance of the need for Congress to act to avoid self-inflicted wounds to the economy,” Alan B. Krueger, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, said in a statement

“The Administration continues to urge Congress to move toward a sustainable Federal budget in a responsible way that balances revenue and spending, and replaces the sequester, while making critical investments in the economy that promote growth and job creation and protect our most vulnerable citizens,” the statement adds.

And, of course, as always, the White House cautions that we shouldn’t read too much into the report.

“[M]onthly employment and unemployment figures can be volatile, and payroll employment estimates can be subject to substantial revision,” Krueger writes.

“Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report and it is informative to consider each report in the context of other data that are becoming available,” he adds.

Final Thought: Hey, at least the economy added 157,000 jobs in January. Who needs a jobs council anyway?

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Featured image courtesy Getty Images

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Comments (46)

NigelTufnel
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 11:45am
If Obama is blaming congress for lack of a budget then that falls on his democrats in the Senate. Look. Until Obama makes an agressive move on a conservative plank like lowering the corporate tax rate to 28% growth is going to remain 2% or less and that’s not even enough to tread water. The rub is that he has to do it this year or he won’t see the benefits from it. He’ll ask for more revenue through more income tax hikes and the cutting of corporate welfare which could be ok in the long run but the immediate effects would be negative just as the payroll tax hikes returning to normal will drag on the first half of 2013. Hooking his printing of money to the unemployement rate is really stupid. Even the liberals know by now that this number can be misleading because there are about 6 variables that go into it. It would be better to attach easing to the number of monthly jobs created. Start cutting back on easing when it get’s to 200,000 a month and slowly eliminate it when it gets to 270,000 a month. Waiting till unemployment gets to 6.5% will mean 10 more years of money printing. By then we will be past the point of no return. We will be Japan.

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SamIamTwo
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 11:14am
Say it ain’t so Obama…and the cattle go Mooo. MSMs spinning hard today.

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- cessna152
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 11:36am
  I thought it was Jesus’ fault…and Christians. Could not be Obama’s fault though.
  
  Actually, I’m glad they’re spinning it that way. It will wake up even more people….
  
  Report this comment
EdtheK
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:58am
“The Administration continues to urge Congress to move toward a sustainable Federal budget in a responsible way that balances revenue and spending, and replaces the sequester, while making critical investments in the economy that promote growth and job creation and protect our most vulnerable citizens,” the statement adds.
translating the Gubment-speak “I your anointed ruler want to spend all that i want, and want you to take as much as I need you to spend, and not stop me in my continuing spending spree, and above all protect us the ruling class who know how best to run the rest of you plebe’s life out there”
There is no way to ever balance revenue and spending right now. with baseline budgeting, and all the stimulus dollars that were added to the baseline, the only way to do a reset on the spending it to push the baseline back to 2007 before all this garbage started.

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bikerdogred1
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:36am
Good job obama,you are keeping up with the democrat policy’s,what about all the promise’s you have made from day one.Well lets heat them,we’re waiting.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:47am
  Ever notice that for 4 years Obama and his minions blamed G.W. Bush and his White House for every failure. Now that he is the White House, it’s no longer the Presidents failure, it is Congress’s failure.
  
  Report this comment
spirited
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:33am
Biden and the lot got a pay increase.

>Things can’t be that bad . –head shake….., sigh

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PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:19am
There is some good news. The best I’ve hear in a long, long time.
http://www.beforeitsnews.com/politics/2013/01/federal-court-indicts-president-obama-will-not-see-the-end-of-his-second-term-2488220.html

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UNALIEN
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:57am
Stocks rise because the market sees bad employment news as the reason for the FED to keep “priniting” or perpetual QE. Leading to hyperinflation eventually….

In other words, bad economic news means more Fed intervention, an Orwellian financial system where bad news is good for stocks..

If the Fed stops “printing” the market crashes… it is the hotel QEfornia. you can check in but you can never leave…

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Outlaw_Josey_Wales
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:55am
I would like to see a chart “Tax Payer Participation Rate”.

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WillG
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:54am
Ah yes the Dalai Bama playing the blame game. He has mastered it.

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- barber2
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:39am
  Yes. Someone needs to create a video of a game show called ” Who Are You Going To Blame ? ” with Obama and the Democrats doing their usual routine ! Wish SNL would but they are too far left to tackle the Democrats ! Where’s TIMEBOMB ?!
  
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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:47am
The are robbing us, and enslaving future generations. I hope a few good kids still have a shred of patriot blood left. They will need it.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:53am
  The kids haven’t noticed, their busy playing video games.
  
  Report this comment
- Popp40
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:11am
  Don’t forget the are also drugged up because parents and teachers find it easier just to medicate them instead of actually taking time to be parents and teachers. Come on it is so much easier to control mindless zombies then an active child.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:14am
  They’re
  
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- Jloyoyo
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 12:14pm
  I have been waiting for some Older people with more power, than I; who claim to be patriots to act for a while now.
  
  Parents are enslaving their future generations, but in the “Me first” American culture we have today, who could expect anything less?
  
  Report this comment
FlagWavingPatriot
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:45am
Hopey change!

I wonder how the “Obama’s going to pay my mortgage and gas” lady is doing right about now.

I’d like to replace the phrase “low-information voter” with “no-information voter”.

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Chromo200
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:43am
It is Bush’s fault .. Bush dug such a big hole that no one could climb out of it .. Even the great one. And the Low Information Voters and the Black Community does not want to believe that this mess is the result of the the present administration’s socialist policies.

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dadsrootbeer
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:43am
It’s Bush’s fault, no wait, its the tsunami, no, um, its because of the hurricane, no wait, its the school shooting, uh, got it, its the republicans fault.

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- gyro
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:29am
  its dadsrootbeer falt
  
  Report this comment
- spirited
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:32am
  global warming
  
  Report this comment
- booger71
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:36am
  It has more to do with Barry’s menstrual cycles.
  
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Cavallo
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:39am
The new normal, high unemployment, lower standard of living, high taxes, high regulation, anemic economic activity, astronomical public debts and deficits, and soon.. massive inflation. This is the leftist utopia: poverty, misery, government dependence and the bleeding of private enterprise. Welcome to bobo-land, land of diminished opportunity and fascist autocrats.

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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:38am
Service and quantity cut backs, higher prices, more taxes, tip implied, shrinking job market, false #’s, puffed up stocks, did I miss any big ones even my lib buddies notice this all the sudden.

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progressiveslayer
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:33am
Barry can get that number much higher that’s just the opening act you aint seen nothing yet. When his socialized medicine law kicks in the unemployment rate will skyrocket.

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- 13th Imam
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:42am
  In two weeks you will read, “7.9 % unemployment rate adjusted to 8.1%”. Expert’s surprised.
  
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- Gonzo
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:48am
  …and his approval rating will tick up to 70%. I think this country has been hypnotized.
  
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Tri-ox
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:30am
“We gotta keep obama in president … you know … he gave us a phone … he gonna do more!”

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13th Imam
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:29am
Another feather in the cap of Barry and the DEMOCRAT Party, Congrats

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barber2
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:27am
And Barack Obama’s War on American capitalism continues…

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Tigress1
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:27am
People started hiring again before the Nov. election because they thought Romney was going to win. They couldn’t believe that this country was THAT stupid. Now that Obama won businesses are back in self-defense mode. Oh well. Hope all the big dummies are happy now.

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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:27am
Take out Gub jobs, then pop q bubble. It’s turned to monopoly $`
And 0 is burning and printing our treasure like no tomorrow. Our inheritance and grandkids money. For temporary pleasure.

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RaydocX
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:27am
they can relax the ‘adjustments’ a bit now, since O has been reelected.
not much, mind you… still have to fear the sheeple, who aren’t all yet lemmings.

sad that so many still don’t see that the ‘policies that got us here’ AREN’T GOP policies, but the ‘failed policies’ that they are still pushing, that will drive our debt beyond recoverable without actually addressing even the problem we’re now in.

the question becomes which foreign currency will be relatively buffered… yen? Swiss franc?

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- Popp40
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:17am
  The thing is they want to blame Bush and the GOP…now I am not a fan of Bush and I have lost a lot of respect for the GOP, however, I do know that the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007 and if you look you will see that is when the problems began. However, the MSM will not report the truth, because they have to keep that agenda moving forward.
  
  Report this comment
SBR308
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:26am
This has become the new norm. I have heard this for 4 years and we have another 4 to go with high unemployment.

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Snaker
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:25am
Nawww, man… Say it ain’t SO!! Obama sad: “We’re back… America is strong… I created (fill in your own number) JOBS! ” HIS chickens are coming home to roost in the white house and it ain’t pretty…

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- barber2
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:39am
  He also said that al Qaeda was ” on the run.”
  
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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:54am
  Yeah, but he meant that they were on the run towards America, through the Southern border.
  
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- barber2
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:41am
  ANONYMOUS : Ha. Guess Obama never said WHERE they were running !
  
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Gonzo
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:22am
Congratulations America, you’re getting exactly what you voted for. Happy?

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- Outfitr
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 9:44am
  Yup and a 60% approval rating.
  
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