Green shoots, horse manure, and statistical manipulation. Green shoots! http://norris.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/not-as-bad-but-not-good/?hp Long-term unemployment is higher than ever. The number of unemployed people who have been unemployed for 14 weeks or less was 6.79 million in July, the lowest figure for that group since December. But the number unemployed for 15 weeks or more was 7.88 million, up 74 percent since December and the highest figure ever. [The actual number of people unemployed in the United States is AT LEAST 14.5 million.]http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-07-voa9.cfm For the first time ever â or at least since the government started counting the figures in 1948 â more than a third of the unemployed have been out of work for at least 27 weeks. The average unemployed person had been jobless for less than 20 weeks at the end of last year. Now the figure is over 25 weeks...