Newsweek

The 9.5 percent unemployment rate does not count a huge number of Americans: people who are out of a job and have given up looking. Yesterday, Newsweek and Slate columnist Dan Gross explained why some have stopped their job search. Listeners responded.

The commerce department revised growth figures for 2007 – 2009, taking down the numbers and essentially showing that the economy performed more poorly than was thought. Dan Gross, columnist for Newsweek and Slate says that there’s a dichotomy.

It’s Monday, which means it’s time to check what’s on the agenda this week. Marcus Mabry, associate national editor for The New York Times, and Dan Gross, senior editor and finance expert at Newsweek join us.

New numbers out this morning show an unexpected dip in the unemployment rate. The Labor Department put the rate at 9.7 percent for January, down from 10 percent. We get reaction from Newsweek columnist Dan Gross.

We talk with Marcus Mabry, international business editor for our partner The New York Times and Dan Gross, senior editor and finance expert at Newsweek. They explain what this week’s bad economic news can tell us about the ongoing recession.