Thinking about an MBA?

I’ve been terribly remiss in posting lately. January is the busiest month for me, with year-end wrap ups, regulatory filings and tax efforts underway. I’ll also blame the cold for slowing my metabolism down. Then again, it’s not like you were hanging on our every word here. Anyway…

Given than a New Year tends to bring thoughts of planning for the future with New Year’s resolutions and whatnot, I’m sharing an interesting piece on MBA’s from The Economist below. If the chart is to believed, many MBA’s actually earn less after acquiring the coveted credential. The article’s explanation? The author suggests those years spent in the program detracts from real world experience and career advancement.

Which MBA? The Economist.

Chart of the Day (COTD): New Claims for Unemployment Insurance

New claims” or “initial claims” means new applications for unemployment insurance. This of course, is a fancy way of saying “newly unemployed” people and is a nearly real-time barometer of the job picture in the U.S. Without further delay, here is the chart:

Jobs situation worse than unemployment rate.

While most of the news on unemployment focuses on the unemployment rate, I’ve always found it easier to look at total civilian employment numbers in total and as a percent of the population when looking at the situation.