Jobs Data Confirm Dismal Economy

Though the U.S. economy has technically pulled itself out of recession, all of the indicators keep pointing down, meaning that the outlook for a recovery is bleak, writes Annie Lowrey in Slate. Judging by the persistently stratospheric unemployment, which the July job numbers announced Friday did little to assuage, the country “has probably stalled out and returned to a recessionary state in the last two to four months.” All signs point to a “sick economy getting sicker,” and at the current rate of job growth, the U.S. will never return to a normal employment rate.