> [from Dismal.com's writeup of this morning's unemployment claims figures.]
>
> Jobless Claims for United States: 550,000
>
> Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 26,000 to 550,000 for the
> week ending September 5, a larger decline than expected. Meanwhile,
> continuing claims decreased by 159,000 to 6.088 million for the week ending
> August 29, more than offsetting the prior week's gain. The labor market
> continues to deteriorate, but at a more modest pace than several months ago.
>
How much of this is discouragement?