Best Super Bowl Predictor Is Still Jobless Rates, According to RiseSmart Analysis

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 21st time in the past 26 years, the Super Bowl winning team hails from the metropolitan area with the lower unemployment rate, according to an analysis by RiseSmart, the leader in next-generation outplacement solutions. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the team whose metropolitan area boasts the lower jobless rate has now enjoyed an 81 percent success rate since 1988.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/DA45857-INFO)

The Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had a 7.0 percent unemployment rate in December 2012 and an annual rate of 7.2 percent, compared to a December rate of 7.3 percent and an annual rate of 8.2 percent for the San Francisco metro area.

"Could it be a coincidence?  Of course – but it is certainly an interesting 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 game's outcome?"

This is the third consecutive year that RiseSmart has issued its Big Game prediction based on unemployment data.  View a news release with a data table correlating teams and jobless rates for the past quarter century, or see the data in a colorful Super Bowl infographic.

"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."

About RiseSmart

RiseSmart is the leading provider of next-generation outplacement solutions. The company leverages a cloud-based technology platform, proven methodologies, and one-on-one support to help employers with their workforce strategies, and displaced employees with their career strategies. RiseSmart drives significant ROI to organizations by offering affordable pricing while reducing unemployment insurance taxes and severance costs. For more information, visit http://www.risesmart.com.

CONTACT: Stephanie Fedler, 972-850-5866, [email protected]

SOURCE RiseSmart