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The phony drop in unemployment. BLS has in essence dropped over 3.5M people from labor force
American Thinker ^ | 03/05/2011 | Stece McCann

Posted on 03/05/2011 1:44:08 PM PST by SeekAndFind

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has again issued data that appears to contradict what the average American sees in his neighborhood and instinctively questions.  The official unemployment rate of 8.9% is a factor of data input which reflects how many people are looking for work, how many ceased to do so, and an estimated size of the current labor force.

However there is a statistic the BLS puts out that does cast a more accurate shadow on the labor situation. 

That is the Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate -- which is essentially the ratio of the labor force as compared to the total working age (over 16) population.  In November 2008, when Obama was elected that ratio was 65.5%.  In February 2011 it is 64.2%.

The primary reason for this drop is the reduction in the size of the labor force as calculated by the BLS.  In February 2011 this force was estimated to be 153 million and the total working age population of 239 million.

In November of 2008 the labor force was 154.6 million and the total working age population 234.5 million.

Per the BLS, while the working age population increased by 4.5 million, their estimate of the size of the labor force decreased by 1.6 million.  It is an obviously impossibility to say that at least an historical 65% of the entire increase in the working age population plus another 1.6 million people are not a part of the labor force.

Had the participation rate remained the same as in November of 2008 in February of 2011 then the labor force would have been 156.5 million not 153 million and the unemployment rate would be 10.8% not 8.9%.  The BLS has in essence dropped over 3.5 million people from the labor force in their calculation of the unemployment rate.

The true labor situation is what the American people see in their towns and cities, not what the BLS, due to its constraints and political pressure are putting out.



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bls; democrats; economy; fraud; jobs; liberalfascism; obama; unemployment
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1 posted on 03/05/2011 1:44:11 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

MORE HERE :

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/the_dark_side_of_yesterdays_un.html

The dark side of yesterday’s unemployment numbers

EXCERPT:


Upon closer scrutiny though, there is another factor contributing to the drop that is not necessarily good news: The official size of the U.S. labor force is shrinking.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the “Labor Force Participation Rate” each month, along with a litany of other metrics that are used to give us the headline jobs number and the unemployment rate. The government’s definition of the labor force is all individuals 16 years of age and older, who are employed or seeking employment. It does not include students; retirees; anyone with unreported income, or “discouraged” workers.

The participation rate is the comparison of the “labor force,” those looking for work or employed, and everyone else. That ratio is currently 64.2 percent seasonally adjusted, and 63.9 percent non-seasonally adjusted, the same level as last month. Both of those percentages are currently running at 27-year lows, meaning the percentage of Americans not working or even trying to join the work force is at a near three-decade high.

The last time the participation rate was above 66 percent - the 10-year average - was in August 2008.

Close to the same number of Americans who got jobs last month - 192,000 - stopped looking for work. And for all the celebrating being done by Obama supporters over the minuscule drop in unemployment and barely break even job creation, the fact is those jobs are not spreading evenly across the country. The Midwest is still a disaster area economically, all aspects of the housing industry are still at depression levels, the deficit is still a dagger aimed at America’s heart, and Obama still doesn’t have any ideas on how to address any of it.


2 posted on 03/05/2011 1:45:59 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

How do they count people that are hired to replace those that retire?


3 posted on 03/05/2011 1:48:28 PM PST by clearcarbon
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To: SeekAndFind

bttt


4 posted on 03/05/2011 1:49:13 PM PST by BenLurkin (This post is not a statement of fact. It is merely a personal opinion -- or humor -- or both)
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To: SeekAndFind

It appears as though BIG “Labor” has launched its attack against the American people in order to get their Kenyan a second term.


5 posted on 03/05/2011 1:50:46 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Just say NO to union greed!)
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To: SeekAndFind
Look,Obama’s butt boys in Labor say unemployment is below 9% and the MSM,Dems and RINOs are going to go by their numbers no matter how obviously cooked and disingenuous they are.

Have to trust in the truth the people see every day and keep faith they won't despair as the Left desires.

6 posted on 03/05/2011 1:51:06 PM PST by Happy Rain ("Only God has more power than the Second Amendment to save America.")
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To: SeekAndFind

Total Non-Farm Payrolls (Source: St. Louis FED)


7 posted on 03/05/2011 1:52:38 PM PST by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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To: SeekAndFind

All they are thinking is, “D@mn, we should have taxed the workforce more when we had 10/1 ratio of ‘workers’ vs. retirees!”

“Maybe we need to educate the illegal immigrants, yeah, we’ll have new ‘workers’.”

It ain’t going to be pretty folks. The body of people they’re importing want to work for the Government or suckle on welfare “benefits”. The new middle class.

Oops!


8 posted on 03/05/2011 2:00:29 PM PST by poobear (FACTS - the turd in the punch bowl of liberal thought!)
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: SeekAndFind
I'm sure this will be the headline of every US newspaper Sunday, obamma administration cooks employment number. Sure it will be.
10 posted on 03/05/2011 2:10:30 PM PST by org.whodat
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To: clearcarbon

>>How do they count people that are hired to replace those that retire?

Companies still do that?? Mine just distributes the retiree’s work amongst the people that are left. I assume that when one employee is left, they’ll lay him off and hire Mexicans.


11 posted on 03/05/2011 2:22:24 PM PST by Bryanw92 (We don't need to win elections. We need to win a revolution.)
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To: SeekAndFind

This is just more Rick Santelli troublemaking.

After all, he is the one who started that whole Tea Party mess by calling for a Chicago Tea Party.

==

If it were not newly PC write this, I would say he has put a BIG target on his back and has moved into the ‘crosshairs’ now.

He might kick of some other kind of ‘party’ revolt.

==

:)

==

Careful, Rick, you might get some late night visitors of the Chicago Thuggery version.


12 posted on 03/05/2011 2:27:09 PM PST by TomGuy
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To: F15Eagle

>>only later will folks be forced to admit it.

Yes. On Day One of the next Republican President’s administration, he(she) will be asked, “Why did unemployment jump from 9% yesterday to 25% today?”

If the Pres is a country club Republican, his answer will be 30 seconds of weasel-talk and he will be blamed for it throughout his Presidency.

The next question will be about the sudden increase in homelessness.


13 posted on 03/05/2011 2:27:23 PM PST by Bryanw92 (We don't need to win elections. We need to win a revolution.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Given the clear finagling of statistics that has been present througout the course of this near-depression, one has to wonder why such a reduction in one fell swoop was required.

Up to this point, flirting with but just below an official U3 rate of 10% has sufficed. They’re really, really anxious to avoid any admission of that rate, nationally. On a state level, sure, quite a few are. My home state, NC, has been above 10% more often than below since late 2008.

There must be a big hit to the numbers coming down the pike, and they’re making room for it ahead of time, imho. Now, what might cause politically motivated government statisticians to begin anticipatory reductions in labor force statistics?


14 posted on 03/05/2011 2:29:39 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: RegulatorCountry

There is nothing the regime says that I believe.


15 posted on 03/05/2011 2:30:46 PM PST by Fred911 (YOU GET WHAT YOU ACCEPT)
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To: Happy Rain

“Look,Obama’s butt boys in Labor say unemployment is below 9% and the MSM,Dems and RINOs are going to go by their numbers no matter how obviously cooked and disingenuous they are.”

I’m not terribly worried about those numbers. Even the most rabid liberals know that they are lies, especially since they are usually the most affected. If they serve any purpose, it is to reinforce the fact that these numbers are ALL lies, as told by liars.


16 posted on 03/05/2011 2:31:21 PM PST by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: FlingWingFlyer

“It appears as though BIG “Labor” has launched its attack against the American people in order to get their Kenyan a second term.”

Yup, and as long as there is a 1/10 of a percent drop in their unemployment number every other month till the election, the Kenyan will be a shoe in for a 2nd term.


17 posted on 03/05/2011 2:48:19 PM PST by CapnJack
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To: The Antiyuppie

Get paper in the morning. Open employment section. Reality world will be staring you in the face. All Obama is Lies.


18 posted on 03/05/2011 3:04:50 PM PST by screaminsunshine (34 States)
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To: SeekAndFind

They are cooking the books.


19 posted on 03/05/2011 3:11:00 PM PST by Roklok
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To: SeekAndFind
Since 2008, they've reduced the labor participation rate from appx. 66% to 64.2%. At the 66% rate, unemployment would be 11.5%. I added the 2 columns to the right of the BLS info.

BLS

Labor rate

20 posted on 03/05/2011 3:13:06 PM PST by jrushing (Anti-American-ProTerrorist-Coward-Fascist-Communist-Socialist-Democratic Party)
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