RS 8 Unemployment

This blog post is my analysis of the economic podcast “Episode 392: Keeping the Biggest Secret in the US Economy.” This podcast appeared on the Planet Money website on August 3, 2012. The podcast is a overview of public release the monthly job numbers that tell everyone from stock traders to business' exactly how the economy is working. This secretive number is released once a month on a friday and people wish they knew it ahead of time.

The Bureau goes to extents to keep this number away from the public until the friday it is released. The economists are sworn to not tell anyone from the tuesday they find it out until that friday. If these numbers were to fall into the wrong hands or someone to find out they could make millions or even billions off of it. That is why they go to the extent of these employees to take out their own garbage, fix their own computers, and not let anyone in their office or know the numbers. 

It sounds crazy, but I think it is good that they do all of this. No one should know the numbers early and be able to make money easier. The numbers have been released early once, but thankfully in the hands of a good guy. He was not thinking of making a quick buck, but instead called of the Bureau and a close friend their to let them know that the numbers were out to the public early so they would be able to do something.