Ben Carlson, Columnist

What the Jobless Data Say About Stock Performance

If history is any guide, equities will fall before the next recession and uptick in the unemployment rate.

Ripple effect.

Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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By all accounts, the U.S. employment picture continues to brighten. The monthly report released May 5 showed that the rate fell to 4.4 percent in April, the lowest it’s been in 10 years. It’s hard to believe that it was in double-digit territory in late 2009.

The economic recovery has been slow, if not consistent. Conditions continue to be not too hot and not too cold, making it difficult for those predicting excesses in the economy or a coming recession.