[xzins]

Gallup is at least trying to report the reality that's out there in the job market.

Everyone else is in "re-elect Barack Obama" mode.

If we were using the same stats as in the Jimmy Carter era, all of our candidates would be talking about the misery index of barack obama.

Joblessness+Manipulation of Fuel Prices+unreported everyman inflation

[Graewoulf]

Did FDR ever get unemployment below 20 % before 12-7-41?

[television is just wrong]

I read the true number was more like 36%

[sten]

for the state of jobs in the country, we should not have an unemployment number, as that can be easily fudged.

the employment information should be on a per capita basis for every zip code. the data can then be rolled-up

data items per zipcode:
1. total population
2. number of people eligible to work (nWorkers)
3. total number of unique social security numbers working in the region
4. total wages paid in a period

derived data:
EPC (employment per capita) = #ssno / (nWorkers / 1000)
AW (avg wage) = total wages / #ssno
AWPC (avg wage per capita) == total wages / nWorkers

having this data, we could see the employment level, per capita, along with the average wage per person in the region

example:
total pop: 38,000
nWorkers: 22,000
#ssno: 20,500
total wages: $922m

EPC = 20,500 / (22,000 / 1000) == 932
AW = $922m / 20,500 == $44,975
AWPC = $922m / 22,000 == $41,909

now let’s say the population increases but no more jobs were added... 7,000 more people of which, 4,000 were eligible to work:

total pop: 45,000
nWorkers: 26,000
#ssno: 20,500
total wages: $922m

EPC = 20,500 / (26,000 / 1000) == 788
AW = $922m / 20,500 == $44,975
AWPC = $922m / 26,000 == $35,461

this would give an accurate picture of exactly what’s happening in that region. there would be no concept of ‘falling off the back’ if an employable person doesn’t have work or isn’t taking welfare. it would also be able to show a trend in wages over time for the region.

[Last Dakotan]

All your jobs belong to us Chinese.

There will be no US recovery until we can trade fairly with China.

[Ballygrl]

No idea how the media is allowed to give Obama a pass when he lies about creating 4 million jobs. There has to be a way to make this mis-information or outright lying known to the American people.

[Mark]

Yes, but the unemployed get “more family time”.

[b4its2late]

Haha... WTF?

[tomkat]

The Kenya pretender is a traitor.

This nation used to have a provision for treason.