by Calculated Risk on 12/04/2008 12:47:00 PM

CR does requests ...

Click on graph for larger image in new window.

This graph shows the 4-week average of initial weekly unemployment claims (blue, right scale), and total insured unemployed (red, left scale), both as a percent of covered employment.

This normalizes the data for changes in insured employment.

By these measures, the current recession is already worse than the '01 recession, but not as bad as the '90/'91 recession. I'll try to add the unemployment rate too.