I could have regenerated these charts (I have the stats), but the NY Times and the Bureau of Labor Statistics did it for me. Either way, I think they are pretty great in showing the change in unemployment from different angles.
This one shows the make up of the losses by industry from August 2007 to September of 2009. There is a lot of red (manufacturing), some orange (construction) and a thread of blue (professional and business services). But also notice the light blue. It’s Education and Health Services.
I like this breakdown as well. Over the next months I expect manufacturing to remain near the top, but construction should change.
Culturally, this graph is telling.
This one shows the difficulty in finding a new job. Makes me wonder what the market needs in terms of skills?
A general showing of the unemployment percentage.
Working Thoughts 