Today is not a great day for the American government, people, economy and reputation. But that doesn’t mean a good dose of schadenfreude can’t lift the gloom some.
The unemployment rate in the euro zone edged up in January to a new record, official data showed Friday, as the ailing European economy continued to weigh on the job market….
Unemployment in the 17-nation euro zone climbed to 11.9 percent in January from 11.8 percent the previous month, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
For the 27 nations of the Union, the jobless rate in January stood at 10.8 percent, up from 10.7 percent in December. All of the figures were seasonally adjusted….
The jobless data “suggest that wage growth is set to weaken from already low rates” and further depress consumer spending, which has already been damped by government austerity measures, Jennifer McKeown, an economist at Capital Economics in London, wrote in a research note.
Data firm Markit said its manufacturing purchasing managers’ index slid into contraction territory with a weaker-than-expected 47.9 in February from January’s 50.5. Economists had forecast the index would rise to 51.0.
Sterling sank in response to the numbers. By midafternoon in Europe, the pound was trading below the $1.50 level for the first time since July 2010, taking its losses against the dollar so far this year to more than 7%. Sterling also weakened against the euro….
A separate report showed consumer lending retreated in January, a reflection of Britons’ limited appetite for borrowing.Consumer lending grew just £593 million ($899.2 million) in January, down from a £1.8 billion increase in December, according to Bank of England data. Mortgage lending also slumped, as it grew just £147 million in January after December’s £877 million increase.
Mortgage approvals—a good forward-looking indicator of lending and house prices—totaled just 54,719 in January from 55,632 a month earlier.
Canada’s economy expanded at a snail’s pace as 2012 ended.
Gross domestic product grew by just 0.6 per cent, on an annualized basis, in the fourth quarter of 2012, Statistics Canada said Friday, close to what was expected but a weak end to a year that saw crucial commodity prices soften, the housing market slow down, and retail spending slip.
On a monthly basis, GDP fell by 0.2 per cent in December alone. And for 2012 as a whole, growth slowed to 1.8 per cent, the smallest growth since the recession in 2009. It was also the first time in six years that Canada’s full-year numbers were lower than in the United States, National Bank Financial economist Krishen Rangasamy pointed out.
Euro Zone Unemployment Rises to Record [NYT]
Unemployment Worsens in Euro Zone [WSJ]
Grim U.K. Data Knock Sterling [WSJ]
Canada’s economy still ‘sickly’ [Globe & Mail]
All of your posts provide (very convincing) evidence that you are terrible at your job.
You are referring to his effort in typing the title and two lines atop the cut and paste job ?
Schadenfreude would accurately describe the commentariat's feelings toward Shaz.
I'm tempted to ask what the reputational damage is to which you refer; I presume it's the fact that you've still got a job cutting and pasting things.
I don't bother reading the stuff after the jump. Like Jon I just cut straight to the pasting by the commentariat.
I've had enough. No-Block-Quotation Without Italicization!
From this post we learn that the Commentariat's and Shazar's worldviews are incompatible. Shazar's act of triple-consecutive-block-quotation clearly evidences (i) a recognition by Shazar that we take issue with his tactics, and (ii) a redoubling of such tactics. I say we push for a swift resolution, and demand that both Bess and Matt's mom (as legal Guardian) publicly endorse or disavow Shazar.
Well judging by the fact that the long bond rallied by close to three-quarters of a point on the news out of DC it would seem that at least one part of the national reputation is not being damaged by the prospect of the government spending a little less of the money that it doesn't have.
if shaz moved out of the US, it would be Very Convincing Evidence That This is Still the Greatest Country in the World
I don't think that word means what you think it means
Jon,
First, I must commend you on your accurate use of the 'cut' and 'paste' functions on your computer. I applaud your ability to duplicate complete sentences and thoughts in logical order, and on your decision to follow one quote after the other with no transition. It takes a real man to be confident enough in his critical reading functions that he need not bother interjecting his own original thoughts on material to which he signs his name. In fact, I tried the same on numerous occasions during my school years, and wish more members of my Alma Mater's academic disciplinary committee could have your vision.
However, as you seem interested in pursuing a career in writing, I might suggest a couple of helpful thoughts for the future:
First, when you use serial commas, it implies that the possessive should be applied to each subsequent term as if it were repeated. Thus, when you say "the American government," the American people," and "the American economy" you got it right. However, when you created the implied "the American reputation" you took a misstep. Rather, in the future you might consider "America's government, people, economy, and reputation" as a reasonable alternative.
Second, finishing a sentence with "some" as an implied small quantity is a regrettably lazy and pedestrian choice of words. Given that you have demonstrated a mastery of the 'copy' function on your computer, perhaps next time a thesaurus might be in order. Remember, living in America is no excuse to speak (or write) like an American!
I hate to be so harsh about an otherwise stellar work, however I would hope you know that I want you to be the best writer possible, and I know you are better than this.
Best wishes for you future endeavors!
Regards,
Ms. McSneedy