(un)Employment News

 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released the jobless numbers for Febuary 2011. This is a regular monthly exercise in statistical flim-flam, and the BLS knows it.

The meaningless unemployment rate in the headlines: 8.9%. The real unemployment rate: 15.9% (includes people who no longer get unemployment benefits, need work but have stopped looking because it’s futile, or have only found part-time work). Learn more here.

 Mike Konczal explains the bottom line: “Unemployment Is Dropping as Workers Keep Dropping Out.”

 

Short link: http://bit.ly/f7thzb

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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(un)Employment News

 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released the jobless numbers for December 2010. This is a regular monthly exercise in statistical flim-flam, and the BLS knows it.

The meaningless unemployment rate in the headlines: 9.4%. The real unemployment rate: 16.7% (includes people who no longer get unemployment benefits, need work but have stopped looking because it’s futile, or have only found part-time work). Learn more here.

 

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

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The Other Christmas List: Unemployment Rate

As we approach the holiday season, many Americans are out of work. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been naughty or nice. The meaningless unemployment rate in the headlines: 9.8%. The real unemployment rate: 17% (includes people who no longer get unemployment benefits, need work but have stopped looking because it’s futile, or have only found part-time work).

Congress put coal in the well-darned Christmas stockings of many unemployed Americans. It failed to extend jobless benefits.

Happy Holidays.

Image (“Santa Got Laid Off!”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

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