Gallup CEO: "America's 5.6% Unemployment Is One Big Lie"

Hi ATS, Well, to me this seems rather strange. A Member of The Establishment actually coming out with what on the face of it seems to be "The Truth". This might be some kind of ploy or maybe the Real Deal, But, who knows? It's just that these people in the positions they're in are usually muzzled before they go public with this sort of info.

I know from my experience with Friends and Family that The Unemployment Rate is woefully understated. At least here in California. What have been other members here on ATS' Experience as far as this is concerned. Are we truly in a Robust Jobs Recovery as our Representatives have stated. Or, is this CEO of a Large Polling Company nearer The Mark as to what's actually going on here in The US?

Any Input as to your personal observances of the general situation in your local would be most appreciated. This is my first thread, so please be gentle and Thank You ATS for providing such a Great Forum to discuss all sorts of interesting issues. Yours with respect, Shavedfish.

(ARTICLE)
"There’s no other way to say this. The official unemployment rate, which cruelly overlooks the suffering of the long-term and often permanently unemployed as well as the depressingly underemployed, amounts to a Big Lie. And it’s a lie that has consequences, because the great American dream is to have a good job, and in recent years, America has failed to deliver that dream more than it has at any time in recent memory. I hear all the time that “unemployment is greatly reduced, but the people aren’t feeling it.” When the media, talking heads, the White House and Wall Street start reporting the truth -- the percent of Americans in good jobs; jobs that are full time and real -- then we will quit wondering why Americans aren’t “feeling” something that doesn’t remotely reflect the reality in their lives. And we will also quit wondering what hollowed out the middle class." - CEO of Gallup

The biggest threat to a corrupt regime is when truth moves away from the "conspiracy theory" fringes and into the mainstream. Which is why we thank Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup, for daring to tell the truth to those who care to listen. Posted first on LinkedIn The Big Lie: 5.6% Unemployment Here’s something that many Americans -- including some of the smartest and most educated among us -- don’t know: The official unemployment rate, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, is extremely misleading. Right now, we’re hearing much celebrating from the media, the White House and Wall Street about how unemployment is “down” to 5.6%. The cheerleading for this number is deafening. The media loves a comeback story, the White House wants to score political points and Wall Street would like you to stay in the market. None of them will tell you this: If you, a family member or anyone is unemployed and has subsequently given up on finding a job -- if you are so hopelessly out of work that you’ve stopped looking over the past four weeks -- the Department of Labor doesn’t count you as unemployed. That’s right. While you are as unemployed as one can possibly be, and tragically may never find work again, you are not counted in the figure we see relentlessly in the news -- currently 5.6%. Right now, as many as 30 million Americans are either out of work or severely underemployed. Trust me, the vast majority of them aren’t throwing parties to toast “falling” unemployment. There’s another reason why the official rate is misleading. Say you’re an out-of-work engineer or healthcare worker or construction worker or retail manager: If you perform a minimum of one hour of work in a week and are paid at least $20 -- maybe someone pays you to mow their lawn -- you’re not officially counted as unemployed in the much-reported 5.6%. Few Americans know this. Yet another figure of importance that doesn’t get much press: those working part time but wanting full-time work. If you have a degree in chemistry or math and are working 10 hours part time because it is all you can find -- in other words, you are severely underemployed -- the government doesn’t count you in the 5.6%. Few Americans know this. There’s no other way to say this. The official unemployment rate, which cruelly overlooks the suffering of the long-term and often permanently unemployed as well as the depressingly underemployed, amounts to a Big Lie. And it’s a lie that has consequences, because the great American dream is to have a good job, and in recent years, America has failed to deliver that dream more than it has at any time in recent memory. A good job is an individual’s primary identity, their very self-worth, their dignity -- it establishes the relationship they have with their friends, community and country. When we fail to deliver a good job that fits a citizen’s talents, training and experience, we are failing the great American dream. Gallup defines a good job as 30+ hours per week for an organization that provides a regular paycheck. Right now, the U.S. is delivering at a staggeringly low rate of 44%, which is the number of full-time jobs as a percent of the adult population, 18 years and older. We need that to be 50% and a bare minimum of 10 million new, good jobs to replenish America’s middle class. I hear all the time that “unemployment is greatly reduced, but the people aren’t feeling it.” When the media, talking heads, the White House and Wall Street start reporting the truth -- the percent of Americans in good jobs; jobs that are full time and real -- then we will quit wondering why Americans aren’t “feeling” something that doesn’t remotely reflect the reality in their lives. And we will also quit wondering what hollowed out the middle class. *** And since we never tired of showing the "job recovery", here is what Clifton is talking about visually.

www.zerohedge.com... cas-56-unempoyment-one-big-lie Shavedfish

I read this article earlier. Finally somebody's speaking the truth. Unemployment is bad in this country.

I live in a rural part of NY state and unemployment's always been a problem. Now, most people are either out of work or picking up odd jobs if they come along. Tons are on welfare and SSI just to survive and eat something.

If you ask me, the gov has been lying a lot about this issue and they don't want people to know the truth. And I for one am sick and tired of pseudo-intellectual puppets lying through their fangs about this....

Not all of those millions not in the labor force are elderly. A lot of them simply gave up trying to find employment.

My Experience as well Yeahjustkeepwatchingme, I have close in acquaintances/friends of friends who are younger than me and they are finding it nearly impossible to find any work Good Paying or Not. These are people who went to College and took on The Loans to get" A Good Job" and A "Bright Future". Something's just not computing and it's in all parts of the country I Suspect. Thank for your reply Shavedfish a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

Right now, the U.S. is delivering at a staggeringly low rate of 44%, which is the number of full-time jobs as a percent of the adult population, 18 years and older

That statistic may a correlation to a thread I just posted. It is about a report that 47% of U.S. households are just making their bills without saving.

Half of US Exhaust Salaries

Seems that the available full time jobs are paying just enough to pay the bills month by month.

a reply to: shavedfish

I see plenty of people of all ages working at Target, college grads sitting home facing debt, jobs being outsourced, industry being crippled.

A deliberate plan to completely collapse everything is what TPTB are carrying out, buncha psychos imo.

Yep and Buy Up Everything For Pennies on The Dollar when people can't meet their bills. I can see where you're coming from A Good Reply Shavedfisha reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

I dont know, we seem to be doing ok here in Florida. Everyone in my family has a decent job for the education we have. I only have one officially unemployed friend, and he actually just make his own living doing computer related jobs. of course he does not really apply himself so his income is quite limited considering the potential he has with the degree he has. I suppose he just enjoys living off his parents into his thirties, who knows.

Me and my wife save in metal (copper, silver, gold). I save all the copper I get from my scrap metal hobby. the rest like insulated wire, iron, steel, aluminum, motors, transformers, ballasts, compressors and so on I simply take the money from it and buy more silver. I have only been doing this though for about 8 months but I have a good amount safely tucked away in my possession.

a reply to: DYepes

Florida seems to be a hotspot in recent years. I know three NYers who relocated down there and they seem to be doing fine.

One problem is the official numbers are compiled by phone surveys.

We never really hear the real numbers because only the IRS can provide that.

Hmmm.

but here's an alternative site that makes heads and tails .....

Alternate Unemployment Charts

a reply to: shavedfish

Shadowstats appears to be around 23%'ish.



www.shadowstats.com...

Maybe Florida's The Place to move to (Good Clime as well)? I just know California's not too good. I do OK, but I've been at the same company for years. It just seems to be The Younger Folks having it rough here? Thanks for your reply Shavedfish a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

23ish Percent?? Ouch! That's Depression Numbers they're talking there. Thank You for The 411 Shavedfish ?a reply to: infolurker

originally posted by: infolurker
a reply to: shavedfish

Shadowstats appears to be around 23%'ish.



www.shadowstats.com...

something else strange ....

The Texas Workforce Commission released state employment data today for the month of December, and job growth in the Lone Star State continues to lead, and in fact carry the nation’s improving labor market as the chart above shows. Here are some highlights of the December employment report for Texas:


It’s a pretty impressive story of how job creation in just one state – Texas – is solely responsible for the 1.169 million net increase in total US employment (+1,444,290 Texas jobs minus the 275,290 non-Texas job loss) in the seven year period between the start of the Great Recession in December 2007 and December 2014. The other 49 states and the District of Columbia together employ about 275,000 fewer Americans than at the start of the recession seven years ago, while the Lone Star State has added more than 1.25 million payroll jobs and more than 190,000 non-payroll jobs (primarily self-employed and farm workers).

Texas, the ‘great American job machine,’ is solely responsible for the +1.2M net US job increase since 2007

HHHHMMM... Sounds like Texas might have them Fancy Diebold Job Creator Machines. Good Reply xuenchen Shavedfisha reply to: xuenchen

To quash the debate, why wouldn't the Federal Government, who is loudly and oft proclaiming that "all is well", provide absolute numbers, regardless of standing or obscure metrics, the amount of people who are gainfully employed versus those who are without employment or underemployment?

Is that too much to ask?

a reply to: shavedfish

I read your article and see a similar situation in the UK - Cameron and osborne lying to their post little back fangs. Yesterday I went through our main shopping centre in the south coast town I live in. We are a major tourist centre and according to osborne's figures we should be thriving. I counted 13 shut shops out of some 28 units in just one smalol part of the town. Even in the last major recession we didn't have this number of closures. I know a revolution in retailing is underway, but to go into the shops that are still there, they are busy and queues etc. As a tourist centre we have people throughout the year strolling around - I just don't buy our unemployment figures.

Another thing that puzzles me and needs answering is that for countries that have mass immigration, how on earth are we going to thrive in the future as more and more people are going to be after fewer and fewer jobs? Our politics are on collision with abject failure with this one simple equation.

Because ownbestenemy, That would mean admitting to lying for so many years. While The 4 D's are most often used to to obfuscate the issue, Deny, Deflect, Delay and Defend. Get it, The People in The Gov are quite happy with the status quo and would rather stay in their nice cushy jobs as long as they can and soak up as much of the taxpayer gravy as possible. Thank You for your reply Shavedfish a reply to: ownbestenemy

Evidently this guy is misinterpreting the numbers. Our government of honest and respectable politicians would not lie to us about something so crucial. Maybe it is just that people do not understand the figures and the way they hide things. In the minds of politicians the unemployment rate is 5.6% and that is what we have to believe. If you were to successfully spread rumors that it is really 4.5% you may find your eligible for a job in Washington at the White house.

So don't believe this guy, his figures do not contain the necessary corrections that our fake economy needs and our government wants. If enough people believe the government's deception then the Economy will work out fine for another year. Don't worry about that big national debt either, worry about quitting smoking and getting your flu shot.

a reply to: shavedfish

Probably a known fact, but I am within the Government and I cannot stand such nonsense. Nor should any other civil servant. I believe in such things as "fiscal responsibility", respect to my oath (which I have spoken twice for some strange reason), to the fact that I am providing a service and duty to the citizens (not taxpayers; that cheapens and opens a narrative that all the people are just revenue generators; not people).