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Labor market is weaker than it looks: Official statistics hide large number of jobless
Market Watch ^ | October 16, 2012 | Irwin Kellner

Posted on 10/17/2012 3:21:14 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

If you want to know just how bad the labor market really is, then you need to multiply September’s jobless rate by three.

For starters, let’s recall that last month’s reported rate of unemployment was 7.8%. This was 0.3 points lower than in August and the lowest since the beginning of 2009. However, it was still a whopping three percentage points higher than the average rate posted in 2007.

In other words, September’s unemployment rate may be better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but it was not greeted with cheers by many households. This is because the reported jobless rate hides more than it reveals.

For one thing, the unemployment rate does not take into account discouraged workers. These are people who have stopped looking for work because they have been unemployed for so long, they’ve given up. However, they would gladly take a job if one were offered.

In addition, those who have remained on the jobless rolls for over six months, the long-term unemployed, now make up 40% of the jobless. This is the highest percentage in over 60 years.

Then there are those who are working part-time but would prefer full-time employment. Others are employed as temps (without such benefits as health insurance, sick days, and so on) although they would rather have a permanent position...

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: economy; employment; obama; unemployment
And even Mr. Kellner is being too kind.
1 posted on 10/17/2012 3:21:26 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Fed X is downsizing, as is the Fitzgerald Casino in MS, economy sited according to the local biased TV media.


2 posted on 10/17/2012 3:25:56 AM PDT by GailA (IF U will not keep your promises to the Military, U won't keep them to the public)
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To: GailA

There is no way for the media to hide what is happening in the job market, so they’ve switched gears from “things are better” back to the 2008 mantra, “things are GOING TO GET better”. Can’t be quantified/measured, and sounds good (or at least it did 4 years ago); I don’t think anyone will buy it this time around (primarily because Obama ignored the middle class completely until 2 months ago).


3 posted on 10/17/2012 3:52:56 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic war against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

43m on food stamps. that means either unemployed or under employed

24m unemployed.

140m filing tax returns... ie: the work force.

24m / 140m == 17.1% of the workforce is unemployed


4 posted on 10/17/2012 4:39:30 AM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
These are people who have stopped looking for work because they have been unemployed for so long, they’ve given up.

These are people who have STOPPED EXPECTING THE GOVERNMENT TO PUT THEM BACK TO WORK after their unemployment benefits ran out.

5 posted on 10/17/2012 4:52:46 AM PDT by Dixie Yooper (Ephesians 6:11)
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