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(CNN Money) Problem: Most Americans don't believe the unemployment rate is 5%
CNN Money ^ | 9-6-2016 | Heather Long

Posted on 09/06/2016 10:01:08 PM PDT by tcrlaf

Americans think the economy is in far worse shape than it is.

The U.S. unemployment rate is only 4.9%, but 57% of Americans believe it's a lot higher than that, according to a new survey by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

The general public has "extremely little factual knowledge" about the job market and labor force, Rutgers found.

It's another example of how experts on Wall Street and in Washington see the economy differently than the regular Joe. Many of the nation's top economic experts say that America is "near full employment." The unemployment rate has actually been at or below 5% for almost a year -- millions of people have found jobs in what is the best period of hiring since the late 1990s.

But regular people appear to have their doubts about how healthy America's employment picture is. Nearly a third of those survey by Rutgers believe unemployment is actually at 9%, or higher.

Republican candidate Donald Trump has tapped into this confusion. He has repeatedly called the official unemployment rate a "joke" and a even "hoax."

(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cnn; disbelief; economy; employment; magic
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To: combat_boots

Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.

This is known as “bad luck”.

-Robert A. Heinlein


41 posted on 09/07/2016 3:31:22 AM PDT by oblomov (We have passed the point where "law," properly speaking, has any further application. - C. Thomas)
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To: tcrlaf; All
Again, "theconservativetreehouse" is the place to be in 2016, "sundance" expands his or her's fan base with this one.

To the article noted in this post, we all know the economy sucks, please don't BS us, maybe America is waking (this is my hope)....

"Electronic Soup Cards"

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/09/06/right-now-we-have-longest-soup-lines-in-history-of-america-you-just-cant-see-them/

42 posted on 09/07/2016 3:35:55 AM PDT by taildragger (Not my Monkey, not my Circus...)
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To: Blue Jays
"My section at my employer just observed non-performance RIFs at nearly a QUARTER of our workforce. Those talented, professional, polished, and educated men and women would have a different perspective to share. Most of them are in their late-40s and early-50s and it will be a struggle to get back to where they were during this so-called "booming" economy."

Sound like the ole' Jack the Knife Welch rack-um and stack um. Talk about a moral killer, been their done that, watched team-mates getting the news and getting walked out. Ya can't keep jettisoning your lower 10%, you end up with a highly medicated work-force just to survive, not good, who is determining they are the lower 10% and is it a hidden age bias without saying it just to get in someone who is younger with a lower wage....

43 posted on 09/07/2016 3:40:45 AM PDT by taildragger (Not my Monkey, not my Circus...)
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To: BookmanTheJanitor

“Funny how CNN didn’t mention the labor participation rate. Hmmm....”

Yeah, the actual unemployment rate when factoring in those who have dropped out is about 10%. Benefits for those not employed is now equivalent to about $40,000 per year or about $20 per hour. So, the calculation is easy when some lazy @$$ sitting in the is weighing a low/no skilled job paying say $10 per hour. No, not proposing raising minimum wage. I propose that benefits be reduced and attached to a work for benefits program. Half of working age population is now drawing some sort of government benefits. Consequently, the takers now outnumber the makers. And you’re wondering why the Dem’s keep winning? Now you know....


44 posted on 09/07/2016 3:47:22 AM PDT by snoringbear (E.oGovernment is the Pimp,)
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To: JennysCool
The government doesn’t count people who have stopped looking for work and are no longer on the official unemployment “books.”

They also don't count people who have lost their long-term full time job, and are having to pay the bills working at various temp/part-time gigs. An engineer working as a supermarket cashier may count as "employed" in the minds of statisticians, but it doesn't give the rest of us a warm fuzzy.

45 posted on 09/07/2016 3:59:49 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (Big government is attractive to those who think that THEY will be in control of it.)
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To: tcrlaf

Unemployment? What unemployment? And everybody has health insurance too! Affordable health insurance! With the doctor they like! And there is no homeless problem because the media stopped reporting on it years ago.
The rich tapestry of America is still being woven all along our border and in the new, religion of peace, mosques springing up across our fruited plains! (Which is good because the coasts will be drowning soon.)
We are so well off we can ship billion$ to Iran to thank them for their international neighborliness! /s


46 posted on 09/07/2016 4:20:12 AM PDT by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything)
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To: combat_boots

What is really interesting about DC is that despite all its gentrification and overall prosperity it remains a crime-ridden disaster for most of its residents.

While the murder rate is lower than it was ten or twenty years ago (except for the occasional Clinton gang murder) the rate of robberies, breakins, muggings and petty thefts boggle the mind.

That does not include ongoing sexual and other harassments of passersby.

For quality of life DC remains a disaster for most who live there.


47 posted on 09/07/2016 4:40:23 AM PDT by cgbg (Warning: This post has not been fact-checked by the Democratic National Committee.)
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To: datricker

People see their friends with college degrees working at petsmar.. friends kids in the basement who can’t get jobs..

The 5 percent unemployment rate just proves how stupid the elites think we are. it’s a joke


48 posted on 09/07/2016 5:09:57 AM PDT by ground_fog
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To: tcrlaf

.....and how many are with full time employment?

These guys count people working 3 part time jobs.


49 posted on 09/07/2016 5:17:12 AM PDT by dila813 (Voting for Trump to Punish Trumpets!)
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To: PapaBear3625
An engineer working as a supermarket cashier may count as "employed" in the minds of statisticians, but it doesn't give the rest of us a warm fuzzy.

Yup. And a lot of talented people like that are, even if working in (more or less) their own fields, not working at full capacity. An example would be a consultant who is only averaging 20 hours of productive work a week.

At the same time, one still sees stories about employment agencies who can't find enough qualified people willing to work at jobs requiring a fair amount of education / ability. This can't all be due to "worthless kids coming out of college", though some of it may be. However, it seems that somehow, many employers have lost sight of the values of judgment, character, and experience, vs. having some particular bit of knowledge or coursework. An example:

I was laid off in 2008. Since I had done quite a lot of technical writing, much of which HAD to be well and clearly written, or I would not have had that part of my job(s) for long, one area in which I looked for employment was technical writing. Indeed, I found plenty of "openings", even in that economic environment. But they all required certain "skills" which had only recently begun to be taught in tech writing courses. (I'd never even heard of most of these requirements.) Since the initial application is online, the employer never gets a good initial "snapshot" of the applicant. They just know I do not have a background in "gobblety-gook 2005."

Now, contrast this to what you see in too many owners manuals, user guides, and such, even if they are written in the US. Technically (so to speak), the spelling and grammar are fine, of course, but actual clear communication to a reader with limited background in their new device is so often badly lacking. One wonders if some of these writers even consider who their likely readership is?

I could go on for DAYS on this gripe, but I'm getting wayyy off topic... Or maybe not: "Sure, we can hire elementary school teachers in China and teach them in 1 month how to write code!" (Who needs experience?)

50 posted on 09/07/2016 5:39:39 AM PDT by Paul R.
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To: tcrlaf
I travel from Alabama through Mississippi then to Memphis, Tennessee and back several times a year. Over the last 4-5 years I have noticed the number of houses that are up for sale or just abandoned has increased exponentially each year.

Over the last year the number has increased from several hundred to 400-600 houses and that is mostly along the I-20/Alt72 Highway and this number does not include the number of business that have closed up.

I live here in the North Alabama area and about the only thing keeping the economy from collapsing is the Redstone Arsenal/NASA Federal employment(54,000)and the Corporations that support it. If the Government cuts continue our economy would fall like a rock! The number of houses in this area in the same condition has quadrupled over the last year along with the number of small/med/large business's. Employment is stagnant unless you work in one of the above mentioned areas. If you don't then you have to try taking a job waiting tables, mowing grass or something that pays $10.00 or less per hour. I truly believe the real factual unemployment is around 47% which beats the Great Depression's 36% by a large margin!

51 posted on 09/07/2016 5:42:20 AM PDT by Southron Patriot (Deo Vindice)
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To: tcrlaf

Which is why more people will be voting for Trump.
Even “stupid” people get tired of being lied to and humiliated.


52 posted on 09/07/2016 5:45:23 AM PDT by SisterK (its a spiritual war)
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To: Blue Jays

My heart goes out to those people. It is very unlikely they will regain the employment / career path they were on.


53 posted on 09/07/2016 5:51:39 AM PDT by Comment Not Approved (When bureaucrats outlaw hunting, outlaws will hunt bureaucrats.)
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To: Blue Jays

My heart goes out to those people. It is very unlikely they will regain the employment / career path they were on.


54 posted on 09/07/2016 5:52:58 AM PDT by Comment Not Approved (When bureaucrats outlaw hunting, outlaws will hunt bureaucrats.)
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To: jiggyboy
This imaginary “5%” figure is one of many measures in the official report, specifically U-3. Basically, it’s only people getting unemployment checks.

Nope.

6. Is the count of unemployed persons limited to just those people receiving unemployment insurance benefits? No; the estimate of unemployment is based on a monthly sample survey of households. All persons who are without jobs and are actively seeking and available to work are included among the unemployed. (People on temporary layoff are included even if they do not actively seek work.) There is no requirement or question relating to unemployment insurance benefits in the monthly survey.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

55 posted on 09/07/2016 6:06:26 AM PDT by Toddsterpatriot ("Telling the government to lower trade barriers to zero...is government interference" central_va)
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To: outofsalt

Of course, comrade!

We have always been at war with Eurasia. Anyone who says that we fought East Asia at any time needs reeducation. In a reeducation camp. Until they learn many things that they are supposed to know, but evidently don’t.

Have a nice day comrade! Enjoy the increased chocolate ration and celebrate the bumper crops this year!


56 posted on 09/07/2016 6:23:59 AM PDT by angryoldfatman
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To: tcrlaf

Real UE rate as of June 2016, is over 9% I think it’s higher if you factor in the UNDER EMPLOYED and PT employment who work 2 jobs. And the downsizing and closings recently posted. ITT 8K jobs, Goshen Coach intends to close facility in Elkhart (About 160 layoffs, Indiana)
http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/business/goshen-coach-intends-to-close-facility-in-elkhart/article_d41bb306-6fbd-11e6-b8b6-fbaa3c62c6e7.htm

Hobby Lobby is closing stores, Hancock’s has too. No set figures on the number of people being laid off yet.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/03/charts-whats-the-real-unemployment-rate.html


57 posted on 09/07/2016 6:36:50 AM PDT by GailA (If politicians won't keep their promises to the Military, they won't keep them to you!)
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To: VideoPaul

You should see the third rate lower paid techs that have replaced the first class better paid ones. I’ve had more blown veins because they don’t know how to even gauge IV Cath size to veins. Some even puncture the veins with tiny ones. They let seniors go after long fasting test totally dehydrated and disorientated. Test take longer to as they have to go find a real nurse to do their job. A 3 hr cardio work up turned into a 5 hr nightmare.


58 posted on 09/07/2016 6:43:12 AM PDT by GailA (If politicians won't keep their promises to the Military, they won't keep them to you!)
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To: tcrlaf

....and they wonder why the American People are supporting Trump by the stadium full and H! can’t even fill a HS gym without busing in people plus the students...............


59 posted on 09/07/2016 7:04:33 AM PDT by Red Badger (Make America AMERICA again!.........................)
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To: BookmanTheJanitor

CNN believes................

60 posted on 09/07/2016 7:07:04 AM PDT by Red Badger (Make America AMERICA again!.........................)
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