Job Growth Expected This Year: And Other Relatively Happy News From the Obama Administration

Perhaps chagrined after presenting too optimistic of an economic report last year, yesterday the White House offered a more sober, but still optimistic look ahead. The administration is predicting that this year's average job growth will hit 95,000 new positions a month--though other economists are expecting a rate closer to 250,000 per month--but unemployment will remain high until 2012, when they predict it will drop to 8.2%.

The annual economic announcement coincides with efforts by...