In case you missed it: March 5

Posted by: Alison Citti

Most of the discussion today is on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) February unemployment report. Joel Capperella has more details and analysis on the report, but a quick review shows that the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent. Temporary employment continues to grow, with 48,000 jobs added.

Also in the news these past two weeks:

• IndustryWeek reports on a recent study by the Aberdeen Group that found “Strategic Workforce Planning is Emerging as a Top Priority.“ Sixty-four percent of companies surveyed expect organizational efforts in workforce planning to increase in 2010.
• The Wall Street Journal posted a chart comparing 2008 and 2009 unemployment rates by state. The average unemployment rate for the nation, for both years, was 9.3 percent.
• The New York Times explores how the economy has created a new class of people, the new poor — those Americans used to life in the middle class who now have to rely on public assistance, possibly for years to come. The article also takes a historic look at the circumstances surrounding past recessions and depressions, and compares those recoveries to the struggles we might experience in the coming months.