Results tagged “national”

Although job losses are less, a 9.7 percent rate is the highest for national unemployment since June 1983 when it was at 10.1 percent. "Nonfarm payrolls declined 216,000 last month compared to a revised 276,000 drop in July, the Labor Department said Friday," according to the Wall Street Journal, which notes the news is not as bad as it sounds. "Even though the loss is huge by historical standards, it's an improvement; monthly job cuts earlier in the year totaled as much as 700,000. The economy has lost 7.4 million jobs since the recession started in December 2007."

Blame pollution: 2008 was another banner year for troubled waters at our nation's beaches, according to the results of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) annual study. Although last year was a dry one, "aging and poorly designed sewage and stormwater systems hold much of the blame for beachwater pollution [and] stormwater runoff contributed to two-thirds of the closing/advisory days in which a contamination source was reported."

Unemployment increased from May to June, but only by one-tenth of a point, or 467,000 lost jobs, a 26-year high. Here's the breakdown: Professional and business services slashed 118,000 jobs, more than double the 48,000 cut in May. Manufacturers cut 136,000, down from 156,000. Construction companies got rid of 79,000 jobs, up from 48,000 the previous month. Retailers eliminated 21,000, up from 17,600. Financial activities cut 27,000, following 30,000 in May. The government cut 52,000 jobs, up from 10,000 the previous month. Leisure and hospitality cut 18,000 jobs, erasing a gain of the same size in May. One of the few industries adding jobs: education and health services, which added 34,000 positions last month and 47,000 in May." Statewide, unemployment numbers have not been calcuated--in May, it was 11.5%.

Now here's one way to show how large scale Saturday's national Prop 8 protest will look like. The above image is from a flyer being used to promote the Los Angeles event. But it doesn't stop there. Versions for San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacrament and San Diego are also being distributed.

The average price of gas in Los Angeles is now $3.976, according to AAA. And this chart above from LosAngelesGasPrices.com has it even lower at around $3.96 for yesterday. The California average price is currently slightly lower at $3.993 and nationally, it is $3.702.

For Angelenos, bees are more often than not encountered as sugar-drunk spastics outside of a neighborhood recycling center, sippers of sweet nectar from your garden's flowers, or a stinging source of outdoor anguish. But there's actually a nationwide "bee crisis" that pertains specifically to honey bees and their unexpected decline, and now what's been a problem for farmers is getting passed on to the consumers in the form of higher food prices.

Whoever makes these things up must have wanted the day off! Have no fear -- fellow LAisters naturally stepped up to the plate with their own suggestions: