Bill McBride, the economist behind the Calculated Risk blog, sums up the uninspiring data on job growth over the last few years and how the next few will likely play out: And we have to remember the numbers are grim: • There are 7.7 million fewer payroll jobs now than before the recession started in December 2007. • Almost 14 million Americans are unemployed. • Of those unemployed, 6.2 million have been unemployed for six months or more.