Weekly Unemployment Claims - A Snail's Pace

We have a bit of a track record of slight improvement in the job market.  Weekly claims were at 439,000 and the four week average is now 443,000 which is slightly better than last week.  The trend continue to improve but a snails pace.  Job creation is thought to begin somewhere between 420,000 and 460,000 which suggest that we are experiencing slight job creation. This has been shown in the previous five to six months in which we have had some job creation. So we can take this as it is not getting worse but also that it is not getting measurable better.  We seem to be in a holding pattern that I see us sticking to for the next 24 to 36 months based upon the limited amount of appetitte for monetary stimulus (see Bernake's comments) and no appetite for fiscal stimulus as demonstrated by both the President and the new congress.