A lot of reports cover the “unemployment” rate. Currently that rate is about 9.7% nationally. To me, a more interesting number is the U-6 measure defined as:
people who would like to work but have not looked for a job recently, as well as those working part-time involuntarily
That rate is 16.5 percent…. wow – that really seems high.
Courtesy of ShadowStats.com
The top “blue” line is the SGS alternative that puts back in those that are discouraged from looking for work. Clinton took those folks out to pad his numbers. Also, does not count those working “full time” but not earning as much as they did – for instance plumbers no longer putting in long hours plumbing new houses.
This doesn’t even count those that left the labor force all together:
% of population in work force lowest since 1983.
Add it all up and the # of people working versus the population is at a low since 1983.
All in all… I think these numbers explain the town hall rage.
August 17th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
“these numbers explain the town hall rage” Oh, really? At whom are they raging and why? Do you think they understand the basics of our system? It’s not surprising that a lot fewer people are working now than worked when the economy was artificially pumped up. And if they rage because they want government to fix it, why would they oppose stimulus programs that pump money into the economy to temporarily pay for jobs? Do they also rage at tornadoes? Is unemployment “high” because full employment of the number who would like more income is not realistic in our world economic position? Or have a lot of people with political agendae fed their fears instead of working to bring the system into a reasonable balance? Who’s cursing the dark, brightening the corner where they live, or throwing bombs?
August 17th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
they rage because now isn’t the time to add debt, spending and obligations to our bloated budget. They rage because this is so obvious.
Tornadoes aren’t caused by people. You don’t rage at them.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
“now isn’t the time to add debt, spending and obligations to our bloated budget.” – the argument that Hoover and the Republicans made against helping anyone in the Depression. As Reagan said “Don’t just do something, sit there.”
“They rage because this is so obvious.” Sorry, I don’t believe that the unemployed rage about a national deficit that adds to the national debt. The deficit is a mere abstraction to the people and has no immediate effect nor any specific long term effect that they can reasonably judge. We have had a national debt since Hamilton invented it in the first government. Even Dick Cheney said “Reagan showed that deficits didn’t matter.” Handwringing about the debt is almost as old as the debt itself but the complaints rarely restrained government policy nor the quest of the people for good things like pensions, war, and food stamps.
I believe that the shrieking about the deficit and debt comes from a minority who fear government and use the deficit as an argument against government. The people in general don’t really know what a reasonable debt and deficit level are because such a judgment requires a rather advanced knowledge of economics. More deficit is neither good nor bad in itself until it is considered in light of the benefits to be received and the ability of the economy to absorb and repay the debt. Both political parties use the debt for their favored activities while claiming that economic growth will repay the debt as the economy grows faster than the debt. Their opponents shriek about the deficit in protest. It’s all part of the game.
Some rage because they fear change, while others fear a lack of change. But their rage is rather vague and not far different from the fear of tornadoes.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I sense a Washington Post/ NY Times inside the beltway bubble.
August 17th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
“It is important to understand that not all anger is unhealthy. Anger is one of our most primitive defense mechanisms that protects and motivates us from being dominated or manipulated by others. It gives us the added strength, courage, and motivation needed to combat injustice done against us or to others that we love.”
Obama got elected and things went downhill fast. Folks lost their jobs, they heard about a stimulus and nothing happened, now they think the government wants to run their health care. A few see they’re slated to pay big taxes to fund these dreams. The public senses they are being manipulated and speak out because they want truth not platitudes.
August 17th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
BTW dirty racist jokes are also emotionally healthy given the alternative, a violent physical attack in public places. The laughs release a lot
of tension.
August 18th, 2009 at 10:34 am
It isn’t the minority that fears government. It’s a huge majority.
August 18th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Those in a beltway bubble seem blind to what happens elsewhere. And what they see they discount as “uneducated minorities”.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I am soooooo tired of being called uneducated and uninformed. Somewhere I missed that requirement of citizenship. Could someone please find it for me in the Constitution?