Author: By DAVID LEONHARDT

A Darkening Jobs Picture

The latest weekly employment forecast from Moody’s Analytics is looking for weaker gains this month and for the crucial period before the election.

Jobs Tracker Holds Steady

This week’s economic data have brought few surprises. The economy has weakened in recent months, but perhaps not as much as last week’s jobs report suggested.

The Spring Slowdown Has Arrived

When the jobs market weakened in March and April, economists could tell a sensible story about why the weakening wasn’t as severe as it looked. But you can’t tell that story anymore. For the third straight year, the economy has fallen into a spring slump.

For Voters, It’s the Job-Growth Trend That Counts

Presidential elections turn more closely on whether job creation is accelerating or decelerating than on the unemployment number itself. This week’s tracker continues to suggest that the economy should be a modest help to President Obama.