On 12/30/2011 3:57 PM, Hawwk-ptooey wrote:

On 12/29/2011 6:35 PM, David R. Birch wrote:

Actually worse now, if you consider that the 8.6% is people collecting
unemployment benefits and looking for work. There's another group whose
benefits have run out and have given up looking, but the govt pretends
they don't exist anymore.

The unemployment measurement methodology is no different now than then.

Unemployment does not only count those who are receiving benefits, liar.


He's not a liar. In this case anyway. He's just ignorant. Actually, the
government does count a lot more than just the "normal" unemployed. They
have other things that are much more detailed about the unemployed they
keep track of. The rate we hear on TV is the most basic one. There are
others that measure a lot more. But if you're ignorant you don't know that.

Hawwk-ptooey

The point is that comparing the earlier 7.6% to the current 8.6% ignores
the fact that there is currently a much larger number of people
unemployed but not counted in those percentages.

David