New economic numbers' results good, bad

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - New economic numbers released this week show conflicting results in the US economy. This week two important indicators of the U.S economy were released.

The first  was the Census Bureau totals for the year 2011, and the second were the August unemployment numbers.

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The problem is the positive from the Census Bureau's totals contradicts the negative of the August unemployment numbers.

Rose-Hulman economist Jong Kim helped interpret the figures, starting with the positives.

According the Census Bureau, in 2011, the number of states seeing a decrease in median income was 18, which is good news because in 2010 the number of states was 35.

That means the income downturn for U.S. families appears to be slowing.

The bad news comes with the state unemployment numbers.

Both Indiana and Illinois saw rises in their rates.

Indiana rose point .1% to 8.3 % of Hoosiers not working. While Illinois rose from 8.9% to 9.1% of Illinois workers out of jobs.

Kim says that the troubling job numbers could silence the optimism the U.S. Census report shows.

"I think it’s too early to celebrate; although, the survey tells us that last year was better than the year before,” Kim said, “still (with) the economic recovery, the speed is probably not fast enough."