A Big Version of the Biggest, Most Important Chart in American Politics

AEI Ideas ^ | August 18, 2012 | Saturday, August 18, 2012 Facebook Twitter Print Pethokoukis

[lbryce]

I’ve gotten a few requests for an embiggened version of the infamous jobs chart prepared by Obama administration economists Jared Bernstein and Christina Romer back in January 2009 (and updated by me). You know, the chart that predicted what the unemployment rate would be if Congress passed the Obama stimulus plan.

Well, here you go. Click it once, let the next page load, and then click it again.

[lbryce]

I can't replicate the charts to work exactly the way it does at the site. You might ust want to go directly to http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/08/a-big-version-of-the-biggest-chart-in-american-politics/ to see it as the intended.

[zwerni]

So even according to Nobama himself - we would have been better off with no stimulus...

How do we apply for a refund ?

[libertarian27]

Ø predicted 6% unemployment without the Stimulus and 5.6% if the Stimulus passed?

And...the stimulus passed and with all stats being equal we are at 11% unemployment.

Ø got Billions of dollars printed and distributed for an anticipated 0.4% bump? Aargh x's 1000

[NTHockey]

It’s about time that we reject the administration’s calculation of unemployment rate.The 8+% number is cited so much by Democans & Republicrats that it has become gospel.

So long as the calculations are based on a false premise, it is just another meaningless number. Call them out on the REAL unemployment number.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks lbryce.

[libertarian27]

So long as the calculations are based on a false premise, it is just another meaningless number. Call them out on the REAL unemployment number.

Absolutely!
Problem I have is that there are so many different numbers to choose from

Old standard of calculation - the different (U) classifications - factoring and applying the shrinking work force.....
there's a ton of different ways to say that the Administrations way of figuring it is wrong - but in doing so 'we all" use different ways to say it's higher....

"We all" need to be on the same page, question is....what figure can we ALL agree to use when saying Ø's numbers are Bogus?

[dsrtsage]

I think the unemployment should be calculated from two numbers. Estimated population between 18-65, and number of SS payments to the government.