posted on Mar, 6 2009 @ 05:03 PM
reply to post by orkson
The unemployment statistics are subject to intrepretation. For example, they don't count folks who are not looking for work, they do in some cases
count workers who by choice work 20 or fewer hours a week as unemployed, but don't count other part-timers who would like to be full-time, things
like that. For example, I just saw a report on CNN international which stated that the unemployment in the US is higher than that in Mexico. That
can't be the case, particularily when you consider that the largest industry in Mexico, tourism is getting hammered due to the drug related crime.
The same report suggested that if you counted the folks who just decided to throw in the towel for a while and leave their jobs on their own accord,
the number would be closer to 14%.
The other thing to think about is that most economists don't believe the percentage of unemployed can get much below 4%. They typically classify a
4% rate as "full employment". That considered, the figure of 9% unemployment is in reality 5%.
I also think that the numbers being so close month after month is dubious and the fuzzy nature of how the numbers are calculated and the fact that
there is no absolute methodology for its calculation lends the statistic to overt political manipulation, something I think is certainly underway at
the moment. Clearly, the Obama administration wants things to get much worse so they can lever the misery into pushing their leftist agenda.
Bottom-line for me is that the number is way too high, regardless of how you calculate it.