First of all, these are “applications” for UNemployment insurance, not for employment. Secondly, it is a national number, so it does in fact tell us what is happening “nation-wide.”
I’ll keep saying it: we need to come to grips with the possibility that Obama is going to go into the 2012 election with an expanding economy at his back. Failing to consider that is going to get the GOP candidate blind-sided if it does indeed happen.
If Obama goes into the 2012 election with an expanding economy, it will be despite all his VERY significant efforts to destroy the economy, not because of anything he did to help.
It’s important that the electorate know that - not that most Americans have a clue.