1. The report says the economy created 18,000 new jobs. Fact.
2. About 100,000 new people enter the job market every month, due to population growth. Fact.
3. Therefore, the economy needs to create 100,000 new jobs every month, just to stay even. Fact.
3. The unemployment rate went up to 9.2% in the last report. Fact.
How is that "an interesting twist of semantics"?
I fail to understand what the disagreement is, if any.
The 'new people' - due to population growth - are not IN the job market. They are seeking to get in.
For thr unemployment statistics to increase, existing workers had to become unemployed.
I'll acquiesce to your position that its a wash. That is the new number of undocumented new workers as yet not in the workforce and seeking to get in, those that were in and are now canned, and those who just plain gave up....
Its a wash.
P.S. I hope you believe - as do I - we're on the same page; you one one, I on the other side.