Google Layoff indicator increasing

Okay: I've been thinking of researching layoffs on google to see what I can find. It appears that layoffs are really increasing in the February and March timeframe. I believe that these layoffs will continue to increase. I also think last week was a small wake up call. We might be getting a bigger one this week...... Google Search: "Nov 2009" layoffs = 32,400 hits "Dec 2009" layoffs = 31,000 hits "Jan 2010" layoffs = 39,000 hits "Feb 2010" layoffs = 46,800 hits "Mar 2010" layoffs = 59,500 hits "Apr 2010" layoffs = 45,300 hits(month is not half over) From this chart you can see an indication of layoffs increase, but you will see a more hits on recent months vs months 6 months ago... Barry

Awesome, I never though of doing this. There are a few problems though... Google indexes are always updating, which means this data changes depending on which day you do the searches. If you keep going back, the search results should continue to decrease. It would be interesting if the searches are done on the Monday of each week, and the monthly values were totaled (would need adjustment for week split over 2 months). It would be more interesting to see if this can be used as a prediction for ADP and the unemployment numbers...

More time off work allows more time to write about it. Just for fun...

http://www.blogpulse...j...mp;x=26&y=9

Okay:

I've been thinking of researching layoffs on google to see what I can find. It appears that layoffs are really increasing in the February and March timeframe. I believe that these layoffs will continue to increase. I also think last week was a small wake up call. We might be getting a bigger one this week......

Google Search:

"Nov 2009" layoffs = 32,400 hits
"Dec 2009" layoffs = 31,000 hits
"Jan 2010" layoffs = 39,000 hits
"Feb 2010" layoffs = 46,800 hits
"Mar 2010" layoffs = 59,500 hits
"Apr 2010" layoffs = 45,300 hits(month is not half over)

From this chart you can see an indication of layoffs increase, but you will see a more hits on recent months vs months 6 months ago...

Barry

I'm getting a much larger number when I search for "layoffs."

Google reports: "Results 1 - 10 of about 6,170,000 for layoffs"

Rich

As an aside, several months ago I read an article stating that a Google analysis of searches on symptoms was about 2-3 weeks ahead of the CDC in identifying "pockets" of sicknesses. (Figures - first you check symptoms, then you see the Doc, then he sends the report.)

Okay:

I've been thinking of researching layoffs on google to see what I can find. It appears that layoffs are really increasing in the February and March timeframe. I believe that these layoffs will continue to increase. I also think last week was a small wake up call. We might be getting a bigger one this week......

Google Search:

"Nov 2009" layoffs = 32,400 hits
"Dec 2009" layoffs = 31,000 hits
"Jan 2010" layoffs = 39,000 hits
"Feb 2010" layoffs = 46,800 hits
"Mar 2010" layoffs = 59,500 hits
"Apr 2010" layoffs = 45,300 hits(month is not half over)

From this chart you can see an indication of layoffs increase, but you will see a more hits on recent months vs months 6 months ago...

Barry

I'm getting a much larger number when I search for "layoffs."

Google reports: "Results 1 - 10 of about 6,170,000 for layoffs"

Rich

Yea... Instead of "Apr 2010", I use "April 2010" layoffs I get 807,000 instead of 45,300

If you spell out the month February was a larger month than March for layoff traffic...

Google Trends

Rich [/quote] Yea... Instead of "Apr 2010", I use "April 2010" layoffs I get 807,000 instead of 45,300 Yes, but 632,000 if you limit that search to new posts within last month.

Edited by pedro, 14 April 2010 - 09:10 AM.