U.S. Unemployment Up, to 8.6% in January

Gallup Poll ^ | 2/2/12 | Dennis Jacobe

[Redmen4ever]

PRINCETON, NJ -- U.S. unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, increased slightly to 8.6% in January from 8.5% in December...

[Redmen4ever]

Nowadays, we have an alternative source of unemployment data, the Gallup Poll. Each day, the Gallup organization interviews about a thousand people across the U.S. Aggregating the data of these interviews over the prior month give a survey of about 30,000 people. This is a very large survey. Given the non-linear relationship between sample size and sampling error, a survey of 30,000 has a sampling error that is just about as small as a survey of 60,000, which is the size of the U.S. BLS survey. Accordingly, the Gallup Poll and the U.S. BLS survey should be telling us the same thing with regard to the unemployment rate. Well, clearly, they're not. The Gallup Poll shows the unemployment rate flat or rising these past few months, while the U.S. BLS survey shows the unemployment rate falling. Even more concerning, the Gallup Poll more comprehensive measure of labor market difficulty, what they call the Underemployment Rate (which includes people working part-time seeking full-time employment) has been rising. There are technical differences in thee surveys, nicely outlined in the linked article. The Obamanoids would do well to avoid claiming that the economy has (finally) turned around, as they might be shown to look even more ignorant of economics than they currently look (if that is possible).

[cardinal4]

Now you why the obamas released the news on a Friday..

[FreeAtlanta]

But, president Lying Oarrogant tells me different.

[hoosiermama]

According to NPR via NYT
NEWT leads Mitt 39-32
when FL vote divided per RNC rules!

Pass the word!

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Encourage them to do the RIGHT thing, end the FL fiasco NOW, Play by the rules!

[FreeAtlanta]

I think is it still a bit biased toward talking up a really depressed economy.

[Diver Dave]

Around our neighborhood in Central California, unemployment is hanging around 16%. That doesn’t include those who have given up looking for a job and exhausted unemployment benefits.

[bunkerhill7]

Obummer`s idiot-knows-no-math employment labor head BLS finally admitted to Congressional committee this week after he added up all the figures they gave him said that it is really 15% unemployment- check it out on cspan.

[cardinal4]

This whole hopenchange thing has turned into a sick joke..

[Qbert]

[Nifster]

And after they cook the books another time they will say that even fewer jobs were created but unemployment had now dropped to 4%. /s

[hinckley buzzard]

If nothing new intervenes you can count on an unemployment rate below 8% by September, even if there is no one left working and the country has turned off the lights.

[Nifster]

yup that is the O’s game plan....lie lie lie and lie some more