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General Discussion

In reply to the discussion: 8.1% [View all]

pinqy

(596 posts)
10. Bad news
Fri May 4, 2012, 08:06 AM
May 2012

The reason the UE rate dropped was because both total employment and unemployment dropped. The official Jobs numbers, which increased 115,000 are only non-farm payroll employment and are not used to calculate the UE rate. Total employment used for the UE rate includes agriculture and the self employed and unpaid family workers, and it dropped 169,000 Unemployment dropped 173,000. So since the numerator (Unemployed) dropped by a larger percent than the denominator (Employed + Unemployed) then the rate dropped.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

8.1% [View all] bigtree May 2012 OP
Great news malaise May 2012 #1
After 2 weeks of being unemployed safeinOhio May 2012 #2
yes! bigtree May 2012 #4
Congrats! BumRushDaShow May 2012 #5
Such good news RockaFowler May 2012 #8
K&R... SidDithers May 2012 #3
meh, people just stopped... Schema Thing May 2012 #9
Pop Pop Pop!!! Hater heads exploding again. JoePhilly May 2012 #6
and romney whines....fug the thugs spanone May 2012 #7
"Things would be getting better... Proud Liberal Dem May 2012 #17
Bad news pinqy May 2012 #10
Break out the Champagne! slackmaster May 2012 #11
were employment numbers under Bush criticized this much? GusFring May 2012 #12
Yes, Bush took heat though the numbers were lower. Much criticism was aimed at their accuracy. slackmaster May 2012 #18
In '08 It Didn't Matter... KharmaTrain May 2012 #20
I am curious what the unemployment numbers would be if doc03 May 2012 #13
Krugman: ProSense May 2012 #15
I wonder how better things would be if Repubs in Congress weren't trying to topple the gov from within GusFring May 2012 #16
BLS: ProSense May 2012 #14
I helped with that number.. Fumesucker May 2012 #19
NYTimes: Rate dropped because more workers dropped out of labor force brentspeak May 2012 #21
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