A JOLT to the System

The following chart shows nonfarm job openings per capita growth (year over year). I have added two linear trend lines for your consideration.


Click to enlarge.

July 9, 2013
Job openings, hiring rise slightly in May

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers advertised slightly more jobs in May and total hiring increased, further signs of steady improvement in the job market.

As seen in the chart above, the red trend line shows almost the exact same "steady improvement" we saw in the blue trend line from July 2004 to December 2007.

This goes to show that one person's steady improvement is just another person's steady decline.

Got optimism? Sigh.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart