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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Coach is Back! on February 03, 2015, 12:02:19 PM
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by Jim Clifton
Here's something that many Americans -- including some of the smartest and most educated among us -- don't know: The official unemployment rate, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, is extremely misleading.
Right now, we're hearing much celebrating from the media, the White House and Wall Street about how unemployment is "down" to 5.6%. The cheerleading for this number is deafening. The media loves a comeback story, the White House wants to score political points and Wall Street would like you to stay in the market.
None of them will tell you this: If you, a family member or anyone is unemployed and has subsequently given up on finding a job -- if you are so hopelessly out of work that you've stopped looking over the past four weeks -- the Department of Labor doesn't count you as unemployed. That's right. While you are as unemployed as one can possibly be, and tragically may never find work again, you are not counted in the figure we see relentlessly in the news -- currently 5.6%. Right now, as many as 30 million Americans are either out of work or severely underemployed. Trust me, the vast majority of them aren't throwing parties to toast "falling" unemployment.
There's another reason why the official rate is misleading. Say you're an out-of-work engineer or healthcare worker or construction worker or retail manager: If you perform a minimum of one hour of work in a week and are paid at least $20 -- maybe someone pays you to mow their lawn -- you're not officially counted as unemployed in the much-reported 5.6%. Few Americans know this.
Yet another figure of importance that doesn't get much press: those working part time but wanting full-time work. If you have a degree in chemistry or math and are working 10 hours part time because it is all you can find -- in other words, you are severely underemployed -- the government doesn't count you in the 5.6%. Few Americans know this.
There's no other way to say this. The official unemployment rate, which cruelly overlooks the suffering of the long-term and often permanently unemployed as well as the depressingly underemployed, amounts to a Big Lie.
And it's a lie that has consequences, because the great American dream is to have a good job, and in recent years, America has failed to deliver that dream more than it has at any time in recent memory. A good job is an individual's primary identity, their very self-worth, their dignity -- it establishes the relationship they have with their friends, community and country. When we fail to deliver a good job that fits a citizen's talents, training and experience, we are failing the great American dream.
Gallup defines a good job as 30+ hours per week for an organization that provides a regular paycheck. Right now, the U.S. is delivering at a staggeringly low rate of 44%, which is the number of full-time jobs as a percent of the adult population, 18 years and older. We need that to be 50% and a bare minimum of 10 million new, good jobs to replenish America's middle class.
I hear all the time that "unemployment is greatly reduced, but the people aren't feeling it." When the media, talking heads, the White House and Wall Street start reporting the truth -- the percent of Americans in good jobs; jobs that are full time and real -- then we will quit wondering why Americans aren't "feeling" something that doesn't remotely reflect the reality in their lives. And we will also quit wondering what hollowed out the middle class.
Jim Clifton is Chairman and CEO at Gallup.
http://www.gallup.com/opinion/chairman/181469/big-lie-unemployment.aspx
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http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/06/falling-unemployment-rate-is-more-than-a-little-misleading/
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BIG LIE from the Liar in Chief or is the Unemployment Rate now a valid number ?
Note, everything in the following chart is Bullshit except for the tiny part circled which happened when Trump was POTUS
No way it's just a continuation of a long term trend due to policies enacted by Obama/Dems
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https://www.investors.com/news/economy/fridays-jobs-report-will-blow-your-socks-off/
I look more to jobs growth than the UE and still maintain that even 4.4 isn't the true number.
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https://www.investors.com/news/economy/fridays-jobs-report-will-blow-your-socks-off/
can't you speak for yourself
try responding to my post
BTW - I'm hearing the real rate of unemployment is 42%
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can't you speak for yourself
try responding to my post
BTW - I'm hearing the real rate of unemployment is 42%
No asshole, I'm at work posting from my phone. Get a job
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https://www.investors.com/news/economy/fridays-jobs-report-will-blow-your-socks-off/
I look more to jobs growth than the UE and still maintain that even 4.4 isn't the true number.
oh, you added some of your own words
tell us what how you define "job growth" and the change in "job growth" or "job growth rate" since Trump took office ~ 105 days ago
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No asshole, I'm at work posting from my phone. Get a job
LOL - I thought you were self employed teaching tire flipping and crippling unsuspecting teenagers with box squats
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BrokebackBama getting his ass kicked by Michelle for cheating on her w that Jap lady
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BrokebackBama getting his ass kicked by Michelle for cheating on her w that Jap lady
come on dude, act like an adult and exercise some self control
if you want to gossip like a hausfrau then at least start your own thread
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LOL - I thought you were self employed teaching tire flipping and crippling unsuspecting teenagers with box squats
Teenagers are in school. I'm crippling NFL players at this time
https://instagram.com/p/BR41bBwBvdv/
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come on dude, act like an adult and exercise some self control
if you want to gossip like a hausfrau then at least start your own thread
Everything was supposed to go to hell w Trump remember ?
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Teenagers are in school. I'm crippling NFL players at this time
https://instagram.com/p/BR41bBwBvdv/
Tacked on 35 pounds to his squat in 5 weeks.
Very impressive!
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DOW at 21000 again
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http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/05/us-markets.html
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Everything was supposed to go to hell w Trump remember ?
He was ?
who said that?
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Teenagers are in school. I'm crippling NFL players at this time
https://instagram.com/p/BR41bBwBvdv/
so you're posting here while working (as you said)
so while they are paying you for your dubious guidance you're here posting stupid shit ?
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so you're posting here while working (as you said)
so while they are paying you for your dubious guidance you're here posting stupid shit ?
You seem to want to make business...yours. lol
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You seem to want to make business...yours. lol
I couldn't give less of a shit about your tire flipping scam
I'd like to know why you no longer mention the Labor Participation rate when it another thing that you constantly brought up for the past 8 years
You can also tell us how you define "job growth" and the change in "job growth" or "job growth rate" since Trump took office ~ 105 days ago since you've said (in this thread) that you look more to "jobs growth"
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Where is andreneedsadiet to defend Obamas ass licking ?
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BrokebackBama getting his ass kicked by Michelle for cheating on her w that Jap lady
MEANWHILE we conveniently ignore Donald's cheating on Melania
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Everything was supposed to go to hell w Trump remember ?
and it hasn't?????????????????????????????????????
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and it hasn't?????????????????????????????????????
No, not in the least. But keep listening to your leftist propaganda
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No, not in the least. But keep listening to your leftist propaganda
HOLY SHIT...leftist propaganda????....the president is under investigation for ties to Russia....Flynn was already caught....Manafort is being investigated as we speak.....Trump fired the FBI Director in the middle of an investigation.....this administration is a clusterfuck of incompetence...and lets not forget all the lies Trump has been caught telling...and all the golfing......
Still waiting for the proof that Obama bugged Trump