Unemployment Rates Still Best Predictor of Super Bowl Outcome

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 17th time in the past 20 years, the Super Bowl winning team hails from the metropolitan area with the lower unemployment rate, according to an analysis by RiseSmart, a provider of next-generation outplacement and recruitment solutions.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the team whose metropolitan area boasts the lower jobless rate has enjoyed an 85 percent success rate since Super Bowl XXVI, when Washington (4.6 percent 1991 unemployment) defeated Buffalo (7.2 percent).

The Green Bay metropolitan area had a 6.6 percent unemployment rate in December 2010 and an annual rate of 7.6 percent, compared to a December rate of 7.5 percent and an annual rate of 8.3 percent for Pittsburgh.

"Could it be a coincidence?  Of course – but it is certainly a fascinating correlation," said Sanjay Sathe, CEO of RiseSmart.  "Who's to say that a city's economic prosperity, as measured by jobless rates, doesn't have at least some effect on fan support, team morale and other factors that could influence the Super Bowl's outcome?"

As an indicator of the economic difficulties Americans face today, Sunday's Super Bowl marked the first in the past 20 years in which both teams represented metro areas with annual jobless rates exceeding 7 percent.

"We all enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday, but now it's Monday – and there are far too many people who don't have jobs to go to," Sathe said. "Placing displaced workers in new jobs as quickly as possible is RiseSmart's mission, and we're proud that our high-tech, high-touch approach to outplacement is putting people back to work twice as fast as the national average."

Note: Jobless rates are for year prior to Super Bowl year.  Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.  * Average of  2010 monthly rates, including preliminary December 2010 results.

About RiseSmart

RiseSmart provides next-generation outplacement and recruitment solutions.  The company leverages a common technology platform, proven methodologies, and one-on-one support to help employers with their workforce strategy, and displaced employees with their career strategy.  RiseSmart drives significant ROI to organizations by offering affordable pricing, reducing severance costs and unemployment taxes for outplacement services and reducing cycle time and cost of hire for recruiting services.  For more information, visit www.RiseSmart.com.

RiseSmart, the RiseSmart logo, Transition Concierge, Transition Concierge To-Go, SmartRedeploy, Recruit Concierge, Talent Assurance, Job Assurance, SmartConsult, SmartSource, and Transitioning Talent. Changing Lives. are trademarks of RiseSmart, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE RiseSmart

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