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Thursday, July 02, 2009

The Krugman Blues

by Calculated Risk on 7/02/2009 11:41:00 PM

A little night music: Loudon Wainwright III performs 'The Krugman Blues' at Madison Square Park in NYC (June 17, 2009)

Note: The last music video I posted featuring an economist was Merle Hazard's discussion with John Taylor (very funny).

UPDATE: And here is Krugman's column tonight: That ’30s Show

Since the recession began, the U.S. economy has lost 6 ½ million jobs — and as that grim employment report confirmed, it’s continuing to lose jobs at a rapid pace. Once you take into account the 100,000-plus new jobs that we need each month just to keep up with a growing population, we’re about 8 ½ million jobs in the hole.

And the deeper the hole gets, the harder it will be to dig ourselves out. The job figures weren’t the only bad news in Thursday’s report, which also showed wages stalling and possibly on the verge of outright decline. That’s a recipe for a descent into Japanese-style deflation, which is very difficult to reverse. Lost decade, anyone?

Wait — there’s more bad news ...

Another Involuntary Landlord and Summary

by Calculated Risk on 7/02/2009 08:48:00 PM

NAHB Sublease Space A little sublease space in D.C.

Click on photo for larger image in new window.

Photo Credit: a reader in dc

Taken today, July 2, 2009.

  • Employment

    Here is a repeat of one of the graphs this morning:

    Percent Job Losses During Recessions This graph shows the job losses from the start of the employment recession, in percentage terms (as opposed to the number of jobs lost).

    The current recession is now the 2nd worst recession since WWII in percentage terms - and also in terms of the unemployment rate (only early '80s recession was worse).

    And a few posts:
    Employment Report: 467K Jobs Lost, 9.5% Unemployment Rate

    Unemployment: Stress Test Scenarios, Diffusion Index, Weekly Claims

    Employment-Population Ratio, Part Time Workers, Hours Worked

    From Paul Krugman on wages: Smells like deflation

  • The FDIC reports seven bank failures (a weekly high for this cycle).

  • Personal Bankruptcy Filings increase 40% in June (YoY)

  • Hotel RevPAR off 17.4%

  • Naught for the Naughts? Just an observation ...

    On the '00s (the "Naughts") ...

    Employment Dec 1999: 130.53 million
    Employment Jun 2009: 131.69 million

    A gain of just 1.16 million. What are the odds that the economy loses another 1.16 million jobs over the next 6 months? Pretty high. That would mean no net jobs added to the economy for the naughts: Naught for the Naughts!

  • Bank Failure #52, 7th Today, Founders Bank, Worth, Illinois

    by Calculated Risk on 7/02/2009 06:48:00 PM

    Six was not enough
    Founders gambled deposits
    Then rolled a seven.

    by Soylent Green is People


    From the FDIC: The PrivateBank and Trust Company, Chicago, Illinois, Assumes All of the Deposits of Founders Bank, Worth, Illinois
    As of April 30, 2009, Founders Bank had total assets of $962.5 million and total deposits of approximately $848.9 million. ...

    The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $188.5 million. The PrivateBank and Trust Company's acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the FDIC's DIF compared to alternatives. Founders Bank is the 52nd FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the twelfth in Illinois. The last FDIC-insured institution to be closed in the state was The First National Bank of Danville, earlier today.
    That makes SEVEN today and SIX in Illinois!

    Three More Bank Failures: #49, #50, #51

    by Calculated Risk on 7/02/2009 06:13:00 PM

    Sextuplet failure
    Like Whack-A-Mole, banks pop up
    Hammered by the man.

    by Soylent Green is People


    From the FDIC: Millennium State Bank of Texas, Dallas, Texas
    From the FDIC: As of June 30, 2009, Millennium State Bank of Texas had total assets of approximately $118 million and total deposits of $115 million. State Bank of Texas agreed to purchase essentially all of the failed banks assets. ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund will be $47 million. State Bank of Texas' acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the DIF compared to alternatives. Millennium State Bank of Texas is the 51st FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year and the first in Texas. The last bank to fail in the state was Sanderson State Bank, Sanderson, on December 12, 2008.
    From the FDIC: Elizabeth State Bank, Elizabeth, Illinois
    As of April 30, 3009, The Elizabeth State Bank had total assets of $55.5 million and total deposits of approximately $50.4 million. ...The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $11.2 million. Galena State Bank and Trust's acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the FDIC's DIF compared to alternatives. The Elizabeth State Bank is the 49th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the tenth in Illinois. The last FDIC-insured institution to be closed in the state was Rock River Bank, Oregon, earlier today.
    From the FDIC: First National Bank of Danville, Danville, Illinois
    As of April 30, 2009, The First National Bank of Danville had total assets of $166 million and total deposits of approximately $147 million. ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $24 million. First Financial Bank's, N.A. acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the FDIC's DIF compared to alternatives. The First National Bank of Danville is the 50th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the eleventh in Illinois. The last FDIC-insured institution to be closed in the state was The Elizabeth State Bank, Elizabeth, earlier today.
    Six down today.

    Three More Bank Failures: #46, #47, #48

    by Calculated Risk on 7/02/2009 05:45:00 PM

    John Warner collapse
    This Lincoln State bank fell hard
    Now worth a penny.


    First State... Second Fail
    Winchester, shot by bank Regs
    Any more Partner?


    A vein has opened
    Red ink drains from Rock River
    No stop to the flow

    by Soylent Green is People


    From FDIC: John Warner Bank, Clinton, Illinois
    As of April 30, 2009, The John Warner Bank had total assets of $70 million and total deposits of approximately $64 million ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $10 million. State Bank of Lincoln's acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the FDIC's DIF compared to alternatives. The John Warner Bank is the 46th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the seventh in Illinois.
    From the FDIC: First State Bank of Winchester, Winchester, Illinois
    As of April 30, 2009, The First State Bank of Winchester had total assets of $36 million and total deposits of approximately $34 million. ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $6 million. The First National Bank of Beardstown's acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the FDIC's DIF compared to alternatives. The First State Bank of Winchester is the 47th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the eighth in Illinois
    From FDIC: Rock River Bank, Oregon, Illinois
    As of April 30, 2009, Rock River Bank had total assets of $77 million and total deposits of approximately $75.8 million ... The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $27.6 million. The Harvard State Bank's acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the FDIC's DIF compared to alternatives. Rock River Bank is the 48th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the ninth in Illinois.