Unemployment Manipulation and Chicanery

Flopping Aces ^ | 12-26-11 | Warren Beatty

[Starman417]

Ed Luce wrote in the Financial Times, "According to government statistics, if the same number of people were seeking work today as in 2007, the jobless rate would be 11 percent." Remember that the unemployment rate is not how many people don't have jobs (the U6 rate of 15.6%), but how many people don't have jobs and are actively looking for a job (the U3 rate of 8.6%). Luce continued, "Last month, unemployment fell from 9 percent to 8.6 percent... more than half of the fall was accounted for by a decrease in the numbers 'actively seeking' work. The 315,000 who dropped out of the labour market far exceeded the 120,000 new jobs."

Since 2007, the percent of the population that either has a job or is actively looking for one has fallen from 62.7% to 58.5%, representing millions of people leaving the workforce because they can't find a job, so they've stopped looking.

Democrat National Committee (DNC) chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz insisted that unemployment hasn't go up during Barack Obama's term of office, a hilarious argument. So let's see just what has happened since January, 2009, (not 2007 as Luce used) when Obama took office. (Yes, I know that he inherited an economic mess, but after almost three years of his "getting Americans back to work" message, a comparison between then and now will be both entertaining and informative.)

• Unemployment rate in January, 2009: 7.8% (U3), unemployment rate in November, 2011: 8.6% (U3); increase: 10.3% from 2009 to 2011 (2009 is base for comparison)
• Unemployment level (people) in January, 2009: 11,984,000: in November, 2011: 13,303,000; increase: 11.0%
• Number of people not in labor force, not actively seeking work, January, 2009: 80,554,000, in November, 2011: 86,558,000; increase: 7.5%
• Civilian workforce participation rate in January, 2009: 65.7%, in November, 2011: 64.0%; decrease: 9.7% from 2009 to 2011 (2009 is base for comparison)
• Number of employed people in January, 2009: 133,563,000, in November, 2011: 131,708,000; decrease: 1.4%

The two numbers that really jump out are the unemployment level and the number of people not in labor force. First, the employment level: there are now (November, 2011) 1,303,000 less people working than when Obama was inaugurated. Second, the number of people not in labor force: this figure is quite interesting because it is used (by the administration) to manipulate the unemployment rate (U3) reported by the MSM. Remember, as the people not seeking work increases, the reported (U3) unemployment rate decreases. That is the "trickery" behind the unemployment rate drop of 9% in October, 2011, to 8.6% in November, 2011.

[fight_truth_decay]

THE AMERICAN CITIES THAT ADDED (AND LOST) THE MOST JOBS

[TwelveOfTwenty]

Democrat National Committee (DNC) chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz insisted that unemployment hasn't go up during Barack Obama's term of office, a hilarious argument.

Hilarious it is, but judging from the improvement in Obama's job approval rating, a lot of people must be buying it.

[RetiredArmy]

Gee, another government lie. Go figure. I would not believe anything that came out of Washington if you handed it to me on a gold platter.

[RWGinger]

Thisis a scary point
‘us it is, but judging from the improvement in Obama’s job approval rating, a lot of people must be buying it. “

BUT does anyone think media is not above playing with approval numbers just like 0dumbo and dems play with unemployment

[stylin19a]

unemployment fell from 9 percent to 8.6 percent... more than half of the fall was accounted for by a decrease in the numbers 'actively seeking' work.The 315,000...

more than half is, let's say .25. Near as I can figure, if we can get approx. another 3,5 million or so to drop out of the job market, we'll be at what the Feds consider full employment.

[hosepipe]

Seems like most all americans don’t want to know the truth...

Else more than half of them wouldn’t be willing to vote for Obama and/or Romney..

[TwelveOfTwenty]

BUT does anyone think media is not above playing with approval numbers just like 0dumbo and dems play with unemployment

I don't, and we're going to need to be ready to defend our candidate against it.

[PGalt]

DEFUND socialist collectives. A tremendous decrease in my participation in the liar's economy has worked out very nice for me personally. Your mileage may vary.

FUBO

As Marxine would say, "the tea party socialists can go straight to hell"

[Publius6961]

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