Where Have All the Workers Gone?

July 7, 2012 | brown deer

[Brown Deer]

Where have all the workers gone?

Since Barack 0bama has taken office, the population of the United States has grown by over nine million people, yet according to the United States Department of Labor, the labor force has only grown by only 1.5 million over the same period.

The fact is, the DOL's Bureau of Labor Statistics does not do accurate counting of unemployed people. It's numbers do not come from the State's unemployment offices. All of it's numbers are calculated from a sample survey conducted each month that includes less than 0.02% of our country's population. How valid are those numbers? Who is more likely to respond to the survey, a happy worker or someone who is depressed about being unemployed?

Some may argue that many of these people have retired and left the work force. No, not the case according to the Social Security Administration. The number of retired workers collecting benefits has grown by only about 3.6 million since 0bama took office, while at the same time we have had an additional 2.2 million immigrants enter our country.

The following table is compiled with data from the U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Social Security Administration. If you notice in the middle of the year 2009, the number of people "not in the labor force" began to rapidly increase. This number is calculated and not reported by the government. If you compare the difference between that number and the number of "retired workers", you will find that there are at least well over six million workers not being counted as unemployed over the past six years!

The fact is, we reached ten percent unemployment in mid 2009, and have been in the range of 11-13 percent ever since!

Month	U.S. Population	Employed	% Employed	Not Working	Labor Force	Unemployed	Unemployment Rate	Not in Labor Force	Retired Workers	Difference	Net Change	Actual Unemployed	Actual Rate
Jan 2009	304,476,912	140,436,000	46.12%	164,040,912	153,445,000	13,009,000	8.5%	151,031,912	32,484,808	118,547,104
Feb 2009	304,725,568	140,105,000	45.98%	164,620,568	153,804,000	13,699,000	8.9%	150,921,568	32,616,240	118,305,328
Mar 2009	304,974,223	139,833,000	45.85%	165,141,223	153,728,000	13,895,000	9.0%	151,246,223	32,723,029	118,523,194
Apr 2009	305,222,879	140,586,000	46.06%	164,636,879	153,834,000	13,248,000	8.6%	151,388,879	32,831,108	118,557,771
May 2009	305,471,534	140,363,000	45.95%	165,108,534	154,336,000	13,973,000	9.1%	151,135,534	32,921,895	118,213,639
Jun 2009	305,720,190	140,826,000	46.06%	164,894,190	155,921,000	15,095,000	9.7%	149,799,190	33,026,550	116,772,640
Jul 2009	305,968,845	141,055,000	46.10%	164,913,845	156,255,000	15,200,000	9.7%	149,713,845	33,135,218	116,578,627
Aug 2009	306,217,501	140,074,000	45.74%	166,143,501	154,897,000	14,823,000	9.6%	151,320,501	33,239,757	118,080,744	1,502,117	16,325,117	10.4%
Sep 2009	306,466,156	139,079,000	45.38%	167,387,156	153,617,000	14,538,000	9.5%	152,849,156	33,320,315	119,528,841	2,950,214	17,488,214	11.2%
Oct 2009	306,714,812	139,088,000	45.35%	167,626,812	153,635,000	14,547,000	9.5%	153,079,812	33,366,881	119,712,931	3,134,304	17,681,304	11.3%
Nov 2009	306,963,467	139,132,000	45.33%	167,831,467	153,539,000	14,407,000	9.4%	153,424,467	33,452,328	119,972,139	3,393,512	17,800,512	11.3%
Dec 2009	307,212,123	137,953,000	44.90%	169,259,123	152,693,000	14,740,000	9.7%	154,519,123	33,512,913	121,006,210	4,427,583	19,167,583	12.2%
Jan 2010	307,463,851	136,809,000	44.50%	170,654,851	152,957,000	16,148,000	10.6%	154,506,851	33,687,642	120,819,209	4,240,582	20,388,582	13.0%
Feb 2010	307,155,579	137,203,000	44.67%	169,952,579	153,194,000	15,991,000	10.4%	153,961,579	33,796,180	120,165,399	3,586,772	19,577,772	12.5%
Mar 2010	307,967,308	137,983,000	44.80%	169,984,308	153,660,000	15,677,000	10.2%	154,307,308	33,882,467	120,424,841	3,846,214	19,523,214	12.4%
Apr 2010	308,219,036	139,302,000	45.20%	168,917,036	153,911,000	14,609,000	9.5%	154,308,036	33,965,577	120,342,459	3,763,832	18,372,832	11.7%
May 2010	308,470,764	139,497,000	45.22%	168,973,764	153,866,000	14,369,000	9.3%	154,604,764	34,048,324	120,556,440	3,977,813	18,346,813	11.6%
Jun 2010	308,722,493	139,882,000	45.31%	168,840,493	154,767,000	14,885,000	9.6%	153,955,493	34,137,606	119,817,887	3,239,260	18,124,260	11.5%
Jul 2010	308,974,221	140,134,000	45.35%	168,840,221	155,270,000	15,136,000	9.7%	153,704,221	34,232,983	119,471,238	2,892,611	18,028,611	11.4%
Aug 2010	309,225,949	139,919,000	45.25%	169,306,949	154,678,000	14,759,000	9.5%	154,547,949	34,326,357	120,221,592	3,642,965	18,401,965	11.6%
Sep 2010	309,477,678	139,715,000	45.15%	169,762,678	153,854,000	14,139,000	9.2%	155,623,678	34,389,661	121,234,017	4,655,390	18,794,390	11.9%
Oct 2010	309,729,406	139,749,000	45.12%	169,980,406	153,652,000	13,903,000	9.0%	156,077,406	34,463,650	121,613,756	5,035,129	18,938,129	11.9%
Nov 2010	309,981,134	139,415,000	44.98%	170,566,134	153,698,000	14,283,000	9.3%	156,283,134	34,530,905	121,752,229	5,173,602	19,456,602	12.2%
Dec 2010	310,232,863	139,159,000	44.86%	171,073,863	153,156,000	13,997,000	9.1%	157,076,863	34,592,322	122,484,541	5,905,914	19,902,914	12.5%
Jan 2011	310,482,794	137,599,000	44.32%	172,883,794	152,536,000	14,937,000	9.8%	157,946,794	34,745,150	123,201,644	6,623,017	21,560,017	13.5%
Feb 2011	310,737,726	138,093,000	44.44%	172,644,726	152,635,000	14,542,000	9.5%	158,102,726	34,849,814	123,252,912	6,674,285	21,216,285	13.3%
Mar 2011	310,982,658	138,962,000	44.68%	172,020,658	153,022,000	14,060,000	9.2%	157,960,658	34,929,971	123,030,687	6,452,060	20,512,060	12.9%
Apr 2011	311,232,590	139,661,000	44.87%	171,571,590	152,898,000	13,237,000	8.7%	158,334,590	35,012,443	123,322,147	6,743,520	19,980,520	12.5%
May 2011	311,482,521	140,028,000	44.96%	171,454,521	153,449,000	13,421,000	8.7%	158,033,521	35,080,355	122,953,166	6,374,539	19,795,539	12.4%
Jun 2011	311,732,453	140,129,000	44.95%	171,603,453	154,538,000	14,409,000	9.3%	157,194,453	35,158,464	122,035,989	5,457,362	19,866,362	12.4%
Jul 2011	311,982,385	140,384,000	45.00%	171,598,385	154,812,000	14,428,000	9.3%	157,170,385	35,256,063	121,914,322	5,335,695	19,763,695	12.3%
Aug 2011	312,232,317	140,335,000	44.95%	171,897,317	154,344,000	14,009,000	9.1%	157,888,317	35,317,017	122,571,300	5,992,673	20,001,673	12.5%
Sep 2011	312,482,248	140,502,000	44.96%	171,980,248	154,022,000	13,520,000	8.8%	158,460,248	35,411,120	123,049,128	6,470,501	19,990,501	12.5%
Oct 2011	312,732,180	140,987,000	45.08%	171,745,180	154,088,000	13,101,000	8.5%	158,644,180	35,472,121	123,172,059	6,593,432	19,694,432	12.3%
Nov 2011	312,982,112	141,070,000	45.07%	171,912,112	153,683,000	12,613,000	8.2%	159,299,112	35,545,608	123,753,504	7,174,877	19,787,877	12.3%
Dec 2011	313,232,044	140,681,000	44.91%	172,551,044	153,373,000	12,692,000	8.3%	159,859,044	35,599,046	124,259,998	7,681,371	20,373,371	12.6%
Jan 2012	313,335,413	139,944,000	44.66%	173,391,413	153,485,000	13,541,000	8.8%	159,850,413	35,572,299	124,278,114	7,699,487	21,240,487	13.2%
Feb 2012	313,438,783	140,684,000	44.88%	172,754,783	154,114,000	13,430,000	8.7%	159,324,783	35,876,089	123,448,694	6,870,067	20,300,067	12.6%
Mar 2012	313,542,153	141,412,000	45.10%	172,130,153	154,316,000	12,904,000	8.4%	159,226,153	35,951,992	123,274,161	6,695,534	19,599,534	12.2%
Apr 2012	313,645,522	141,995,000	45.27%	171,650,522	153,905,000	11,910,000	7.7%	159,740,522	36,037,299	123,703,223	7,124,596	19,034,596	11.8%
May 2012	313,748,892	142,727,000	45.49%	171,021,892	154,998,000	12,271,000	7.9%	158,750,892	36,120,981	122,629,911	6,051,284	18,322,284	11.4%
	[a]	[b]			[b]	[b]	[b]		[c]

[a] Population source: http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/
[b] Employment source: http://www.bls.gov/schedule/archives/empsit_nr.htm
[c] SSDI source: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/icp.html

% Employed = Employed / Population
Not working = Population – Employed
Unemployed = Labor Force – Employed
% Unemployment = Unemployed / Labor Force
Not in Labor Force = Population – Labor Force
Difference = Not in Labor Force – Retired Workers
Net Change = amount of Difference since Jul 2009
Actual Unemployed = Unemployed + Net Change
Actual Rate = Actual Unemployed / (Labor Force + Net Change)

Important definitions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Unemployed
• Labor Force

[Brown Deer]

[Nepeta]

I think I know where some of them are. There is a colony of homeless people living in my neighborhood park.

I'm unemployed and not counted officially.

[pistolpackinpapa]

Is it possible that the Unemployment numbers are higher than we’ve been told? No, couldn’t be.

[thecodont]

Does the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics count illegal alien workers and those being paid under the table?

[bicyclerepair]

Ain’t counting me.

[Repeal The 17th]

Good work, thanks!

[RegulatorCountry]

Off the books, black market and grey market, just like a third world country. No one’s prosecuting them, so it begins to seem that this is deemed desirable, although I don’t know why, given our current tax-happy control freak bureaucratic idiocracy.

You’d think they’d already shoved through a national sales tax or something. I’m sure that’s down the road, what with so much “revnue” left lying on the table.

[knarf]

There can be no workers without work.

Sounds simple enough, but when I was a younger man (1950's, '60's), I could either find in a newspaper a job that started the next day or the nearest Monday ... or I could walk around "industrial areas" (factories) and walk in, ask if there was a job, interview and start tomorrow or soon after.

The point is, there were places DOING things that needed labor ... skilled, semi-skilled or none at all.

America was hiring because America was building stuff.

I've extruded plastic into bags, bottles and caps.

I've worked with (no kidding) celophane when you could save cigarette wrappers, send 'em in and some kid or GI got an artificial limb made from the stuff.

I've bagged mattresses, worked on an addressograph, run a TREE mill, bench and engine lathes, drilled gun barrels.

Hell, there used to be work EVERYwhere.

My point is, we don't manufacture like we used to (for any and a number of reasons) and THAT is where workers should be.

In a factory ... MAKIN' shit.

I'm no wizard, but from what I read, Gummint regulations (and gummint sanctioned agencies) and taxes have killed all this manufactureing and PRODUCING enterprize and have reduced our "work" to, Do you want to biggie that?

[combat_boots]

[fhayek]

Did you compile this yourself? Good work, you get a solid ten out of ten for this. I will, with your permission, copy and refer to these numbers from time to time.

[thecodont]

America was hiring because America was building stuff.

I remember when Oakland, CA was full of FACTORIES where actual, physical things were being made.

What happened?

[Hotlanta Mike]

[Vermont Lt]

I am not defending the bullshit numbers. They are twisted like a pretzel.

But, I will defend the sampling process. A well done sample will come pretty close. I don’t know how they select the sample, but in general practice, you can make accurate generalizations.

Of course, figures lie, and liars figure.

[familyop]

Probably, most survey calls go out to the land lines of those paid well for a long time.

[CitizenM]

We always knew that true numbers don’t lie. We also knew that Obama always does!

[USCG SimTech]

Back to the bedroom in the parents house or newly renovated basement living space until work becomes available.

[CitizenM]

This is a great analysis. Thanks for all the hard work.

[hoosiermama]

This needs to be distributed in a larger population than just fr. Who can you send it to? Anyone at FBN? Cavuto? Stosselman?

[GOPJ]

Is it possible that the Unemployment numbers are higher than we’ve been told? No, couldn’t be.?

Liberals lie? Say it ain't so..