Obama’s made-up jobless numbers

The Washington Times ^ | February 5, 2012 | Joseph Curl

[lasereye]

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

When it comes to the unemployment rate, it’s nice to be president.

Sure, it wasn’t so nice for President Obama in October 2009, when the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics declared the rate was 10 percent. But exactly a year from Election Day 2012, the rate began a precipitous plunge, first to 8.9 percent, then the next month, to 8.7, then to 8.5. And just last week, the BLS said the rate had fallen all the way down to 8.3 percent.

So, spectacular news for the president, yes? And fantastic news for America, right? Uh, yes. And absolutely no.

See, the BLS boys, no doubt at the president’s direction, are busy rewriting the rules, and they’re in uncharted, and unchecked, territory. The federal government Friday declared that the U.S. had created — not “saved,” mind you, “created” — 243,000 jobs. Amazing, right?

But wait, what’s that little asterisk here? A record 1.2 million Americans left the labor force? 1.2 million?! Well, where’d they go? Oh, just left? Well, OK. But no, wait. What does that even mean?

[Venturer]

A record 1.2 million Americans left the labor force? 1.2 million?! Well, where’d they go? Oh, just left? Well, OK. But no, wait. What does that even mean?
...........................................................
It means that the 1.2 Million should be added to the 8.3% that are out of work, giving us a total that doesn’t make Obama’s big comeback look like so much of a success.

Just another lie from our Government that is lying to us care of Obama.

[LibLieSlayer]

2,488,000 jobs disappeared from the US JOB MARKET between December 11, 2011 and January 11, 2012... in one month... CBO numbers discussed by Rush Limbaugh... add to that these 1.2 million falling off the unemployment numbers and if anyone can't see the lie... well do I even need to say it?

LLS

[Proud2BeRight]

Would Jesus want Obama to cook the books?

[Iron Munro]

Labor Participation Rate

The LPR measures the number of people employed or looking for work
compared to the total of age eligible population. As shown in the graph,
the LPR has been on a slow decline since January, 2002 but has plunged
precipitously since Barack Obama took office.

LPR: Jan 2009 = 65.7 million
LPR Jan 2012 = 63.7 million

Ref: http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS11300000

[for-q-clinton]

And will Romney or any of the republican’s call this fact out?

[tobyhill]

They will be added back once congress passes the unemployment extension. If congress makes the extension retroactive to those that dropped out less than a year ago then the BLS will be adding approx. another 2 million people to the unemployment numbers.

The only way the BLS can make up for that type of numbers will be to decrease the workforce by at least another 3 million.

[lacrew]

I think the graph is a percentage of people working...not an actual number of people working. I don’t know the percentage of ‘what’ though - total population over a certain age?

I am curious to know how many actual people are working today vs. Jan 2009...if anyone knows that.

[Iron Munro]

They will be added back once congress passes the unemployment extension.

Wouldn't that seem to be a big reason why democrats in the Senate would not pass another extension?

And even though an extension of benefits would force the administration into even grander fits and contortions to make the numbers look good, republicans will still fight it out of budgetary concerns. They just don't have the instinct to respond when democrats play dirty pool.

[bgill]

He’ll get a pass on made up unemployment numbers just like he gets a pass on his past lives.

[tobyhill]

It should be but the Rats had a miscalculation and now they are resorting to the use of overly fudged BLS numbers. They can only keep this numbers game up so long before the truth catches up. Had they not decreased the workforce by 1.2 million then the rate would have jumped to 8.9%.

[sasquatch]

last mill closes; owl ratio skyrockets.

[Sprite518]

The sad thing is that beyond this article, Free Republic, a few web sites and talk Radio.....

You will not hear anything about this by the Republicans in Washington DC or Mitt Romney. They will sit in silence about it. Now if we had a real opposition party, then it would all over the news pointing this out.

[nascarnation]

Don’t forget Rick Santelli on CNBC, he shredded the numbers on air right after it was released.

[Iron Munro]

I think the graph is a percentage of people working...not an actual number of people working. I don’t know the percentage of ‘what’ though - total population over a certain age?

I am curious to know how many actual people are working today vs. Jan 2009...if anyone knows that.

You are correct - I erroneously identified the number as a quantity instead of a percentage.

I haven't yet found a direct comparison of total employment between Jan. 2009 and Jan. 2012. Most articles point to a loss of somewhere around 2,000,000 jobs in that period.

[primatreat]

They no longer are required to look for work and bring in a document from job interviews to prove they are looking for work..

Now all they have to do is inform the govt their wire transfer number and it is direct deposited.

It’s cold up north now. Bet is is very busy in the islands, etc. MY SSI deposit is by wire transfer on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. They don’t care where I am. Get the Gist!!!!!

[Texas Fossil]