Has the number of umemployed been manipulated?

[reaganator]

The recent jobs report has shown the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.9%, what is the formula used for determining this rate?

Is it possible for the current Administration to elinimate certain sectors of the unemployed to achieve this desired result? Those who were collecting unemployment benefits but are now being paid to go to school or are being paid to remain poor. etc.

When the welfare rolls increase does this decrease the unemployment rolls?

Is it possible for the Administration to stretch to increase the actual number count of the American work force to achieve a lower unemployment rate? Count those who previosly were not counted.

I suspect there will be adjusted job numbers to come.

I admit great ignorance comcerning this matter and would appreciate Freepers help in learning more about this.

[jospehm20]

That is what I wrote, no?

[BobL]

“It’s sad that it takes such a drastic hit on the economy to put the fear of the electorate in Obama. “

Mainly that’s because the Dems are so good at putting the FEAR of a Republican president into the heads of Americans.

If the Dems played clean, or the Reps would play by the Dem rules (i.e., in the gutter), then we’d be fine and Reps would have the majority they deserve in this conservative country - but it doesn’t work that way...the Reps are simply not up to it.

[Howie66]

Sorry....caffeine deficit working, here.

[JeanLM]

The unemployment statistic is a poll and like all polls is faulty. My choice is the participation rate which a 61-2% is at a decade long low. If one were an all powerful monarch really interested in employment you’d track what percentage of the adult population was working, and work on raising that number.

Of course the guy we have who thinks he’s the monarch, doesn’t really care and hasn’t a clue what to do.

[Reagan Man]

The Labor Depts Bureau of Labor Statistics generally promotes just one (U3) of many data figures related to unemployment. As you can see from the BLS chart, Obama is presenting a rosy snapshot for what otherwise remains a bleak employment picture in America.

Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization

HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization

[Percent]

Measure	Not seasonally adjusted			Seasonally adjusted
	Feb. 2010	Jan. 2011	Feb. 2011	Feb. 2010	Oct. 2010	Nov. 2010	Dec. 2010	Jan. 2011	Feb. 2011
U-1 Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force	6.0	5.6	5.6	5.8	5.7	5.7	5.6	5.5	5.3
U-2 Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force	7.0	6.2	6.0	6.2	5.9	6.2	5.8	5.6	5.4
U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)	10.4	9.8	9.5	9.7	9.7	9.8	9.4	9.0	8.9
U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers	11.1	10.4	10.1	10.4	10.4	10.5	10.2	9.6	9.5
U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force	11.9	11.4	11.1	11.1	11.2	11.2	10.9	10.7	10.5
U-6 Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force	17.9	17.3	16.7	16.8	17.0	17.0	16.7	16.1	15.9
NOTE: Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the past 12 months. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not currently looking for work. Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

[spyone]

Karl always covers these things well.

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?singlepost=2442531

[cranked]

of course it has been manipulated.....those that fall off the unemployment rolls were not and are not ever counted towards the ‘reported’ unemployment numbers....=.=

[cripplecreek]

There are some new jobs in my area but they’re all related to the Boeing contract. Those jobs are nice for those that get them but true success will come without government help.

[Former Proud Canadian]

I’m sure that by summer next year unemployment will have been defined down to around 6%. The actual rate will still be around 20%.

[tiger63]

Liberal democrats have always, always, always “cooked the books” on everything. You name it they can cook it!

[ExTexasRedhead]

Malls, restaurants, stores everywhere are boarded up and out of business. The unemployment numbers have been made up to cover up the truth.

Only a complete moron believes the numbers aren’t over 15%.

[lnbjohnson]

The unemployment rate is determined by a survey of about 60,000 households. Basically, the government calls up and asks if anyone in the household has actively looked for a job in the past 4 weeks. Here is a link with complete information http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm. The number of unemployed is 13.7 million, but we have another 8.3 million workers that are involuntary part time works (their employment hours have been reduced), and another 2.7 million that would like a job, but have not actively sought work in the past 4 weeks. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

[fatnotlazy]

These stats have always been manipulated, not just by Obama but by past presidents as well. Today, the manipulation is more obvious than ever. My question is, how can we have an 8.9% unemployment rate nationally when, in most cities, the number is in the double digits — some close to 20%, maybe more? All these tables and formulas are bogus.

[null and void]

The problem he has now is that he cannot control the price of oil very much...and should gasoline hit $9.00 per gallon, which it will if Saudi falls, he will have to answer for that at the polls.

During his campaign he promised European level gas prices. $3.00/gal more and we're there!

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Of course it’s fake. It was artificially kept under 10% on purpose. Now it “dropped” below 9%. The numbers are phony fake fraud just like the people who stand to benefit from the numbers.

[Twinkie]

Obama and his administration LOVE IT when gas prices shoot through the roof. It “teaches” us to “change our habits”, go to “green solutions”, “drive less”, turn the thermostat down, etc. We must be “managed” by “smart” people, like THEM. Of course, they won’t be held accountable for any “unintended consequences”, such as people dying of starvation around the globe because using corn as fuel was an unwise idea. Oopsie!!

[BobL]

Not yet - but we are closing in. England is $9.00, while the rest of Europe is $7.00 to $9.00.

[BobL]

“Obama and his administration LOVE IT when gas prices shoot through the roof.”

Yes and no. They DEFINITELY love it when the price shoots up...but they’d much rather have that increase go into the US Treasury to play with...rather than oil dictators.

[Twinkie]

Oh, and there’s the part where people just simply give up even looking for work and go on permanent unemployment. - See, that’s even better. If Congress doesn’t extend unemployment FOREVER, Obama’s got a permanent entitlement class who’ll take to the streets to demonstrate if those nasty Republicans vote to take away their sugar tit. (like they’re doing in Wisconsin, you know)

[null and void]

Yep. $3.00 more and we're there for the lower limit of European prices.

(Of course purists will insist that we need to equal the new European prices, maybe $15-20/gal?)