That number comes from laymen and small business owners. You think the government is truthful about unemployment?
One of my friends owns a hair salon, and he has lost over 50% of his customers due to layoffs and unemployment. The number of empty storefronts here is staggering.
Just talking to young people of high school age, over 50% are on EBT cards. They cannot find part-time work locally; too many unemployed competing for the same jobs.
There are jobs in Vancouver WA and Portland OR. Those jobs are over 100 miles round trip from the Longview/Kelso area, and such trips will use up most of the earned income by feeding the gas tank.
Are there ways to beat these disadvantages? Sure, and folks are using those tricks; carpooling or staying with friends or relatives in the two large city’s mentioned.
That number comes from laymen and small business owners.
For sure somebody’s numbers are wrong, be it laymen and small business owners
or the State. Maybe they better help the Gov. get the accurate numbers and a
few tax dollars may come their way to help the population during hard times.