[9YearLurker]

I’ve been predicting for ages now that the Obama administration will use hook and crook to get the unemployment number below 8.0% by election day.

Looks like they’re right on track.

I mean, how is it possible, with only two-thirds of the new jobs required to keep pace with the increase in population, that the number dropped to 8.1?

[scooby321]

Charles Paine said if they used Bush's participation the unemployment rate would be over 11%

[xzins]

How is it possible?

From the report: Both the civilian labor force (154.6 million) and the labor force participation rate (63.5 percent) declined in August.

Fewer people are participating in the labor force, and that includes a lower rate of participation.

So, if I have a labor force of 10 and only 6 are participating, I have a 60% participation rate.

But, if I have a labor force of 9 and only 5 are participating, I have only a 55% participation rate.

I could have shrunk my labor force to 9 and still have 6 participating for a 66% participation rate, BUT in this report, the FORCE IS SMALLER and FEWER PEOPLE are participating.

That is entirely damning. It says that the claim of 96000 jobs created is all smoke and mirrors.

There are few jobs in August than there were in July. That's the bottom line.