Q,
I actually agree to a certain extent.
pch asked about the FY2010 vs, FY2011 comparison, so I provided the figures.
If approvals were linear, it would be extremely useful. However they are not. The lumpy nature of approvals leads to wide error margins and with 6 months still to go, it encompasses everything from increased approvals to reduced approvals.
At this point, such an approach has limited value, especially as the situations pertaining to each year may be different (as you pointed out).
The Q2 PERM figures should be available shortly. They "may" provide some additional information and insight into what is going to happen this year. If nothing else, they provide a much larger number base.