Category Archives: Jobs

Obama Illinois high unemployment reveals Labor Force Participation rate impact on unemployment rate, IL jumps to 9 percent with labor force reentrants

Obama Illinois high unemployment reveals Labor Force Participation rate impact on unemployment rate, IL jumps to 9 percent with labor force reentrants

“With a 63.7% labor force participation, “conditions in the labor market are considerably worse than indicated” in July’s report”…economist Joshua Shapiro, WSJ August 3, 2012

“As today’s labor release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows, Illinois’ unemployment rate jumped to 9 percent, a 0.4 percent increase over December’s 8.6 percent rate. Even before the increase in January, Illinois had the 9th highest unemployment rate in the nation.

The increase is due to almost 23,000 Illinoisans rejoining the workforce to look for work again. Unfortunately, Illinois’s worsening economic climate means there is very little work to find.”…Illinois Review Mar 2013

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

We have continued to reveal the real unemployment rate in the US as being much higher due to the shrinking labor force participation rate, i.e., the large numbers of people who have dropped out of the labor force. In Obama’s home state of Illinois we have a good example of how this works when some of those people attempt to reenter the job market.

From Illinois Review March 10, 2013.
“ILLINOIS’ UNEMPLOYMENT RATE JUMPED TO 9 PERCENT”

“As today’s labor release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows, Illinois’ unemployment rate jumped to 9 percent, a 0.4 percent increase over December’s 8.6 percent rate. Even before the increase in January, Illinois had the 9th highest unemployment rate in the nation.

The increase is due to almost 23,000 Illinoisans rejoining the workforce to look for work again. Unfortunately, Illinois’s worsening economic climate means there is very little work to find.

The state’s unemployment rate is now nearly the same as it was one full year ago, when the unemployment rate stood at 9.1 percent. ”

http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2013/03/illinois-unemployment-rate-jumped-to-9-percent.html#more

The US Labor Force Participation Rate when Obama took the White House in January of 2009 was 65.7 percent. Since then it has dropped 2.2 percent to 63.5 percent. That 2.2 percent is not reflected in the stated unemployment rate.

Also in January of 2009 there were 5.7 million people who want a job now. Last month there were 6.8 million who want a job now.

This information comes directly from the US Labor Dept.

Pass this information along to low information voters.

Unemployment rate March 8, 2013, Labor force participation rate underemployment rate and part time workers reveal truth, Gallup Poll US Payroll to Population Rate Falls Further in February

Unemployment rate March 8, 2013, Labor force participation rate underemployment rate and part time workers reveal truth, Gallup Poll US Payroll to Population Rate Falls Further in February

“With a 63.7% labor force participation, “conditions in the labor market are considerably worse than indicated” in July’s report”…economist Joshua Shapiro, WSJ August 3, 2012

“Tonight, let’s declare that, in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works fulltime should have to live in poverty — and raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.”…Barack Obama

“the Times of the nineteenth of December had published the official forecasts of the output of various classes of consumption goods in the fourth quarter of 1983, which was also the sixth quarter of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong. Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.”…George Orwell, “1984″

***  UPDATE  8:30 EST ***

Just in from the US Labor Dept.

The “rectified” (“1984” reference) unemployment rate for February 2013 is 7.7%.

The BLS February 2013 unemployment rate will be released shortly. Regardless of the stated rate, it will not accurately portray the dismal jobs situation in America.

From Gallup March 7, 2013.

“U.S. Payroll to Population Rate Falls Further in February”

“The U.S. Payroll to Population employment rate
(P2P), as measured by Gallup, was 43.3% for the month of February,
down from 43.6% in January. This also reflects a decline from the
43.6% P2P rate of February 2012, and is the lowest P2P rate since
April 2011’s 43.3%.

Gallup’s P2P metric is an estimate of the percentage of the U.S. adult
population aged 18 and older who are employed full time by an employer
for at least 30 hours per week. P2P is not seasonally adjusted.”

“Unlike Gallup’s P2P rate, which is a percentage of the total
population, traditional employment metrics, such as the unemployment
rates Gallup and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, are based
on the percentage of the workforce. Gallup defines the “workforce” as
adults who are working or actively looking for work and available for
employment. February’s workforce participation rate was 67.8%, down
slightly from 68.1% in January, but similar to the 67.7% of February
2012.”

“Underemployment, as measured without seasonal adjustment, was 18.1% in
February, up from 17.5% in January. Still, this is a full point’s
improvement over February 2012, when the rate was 19.1%.”

“The percentage of workers working part time but wanting full-time work
was 10.1% in February, an increase from 9.6% in January, and the
highest rate measured since January 2012.”

“The year-over-year decline in unemployment and stability in the size
of the workforce, on the surface, would seem to indicate an improving
employment situation. Although fewer people are unemployed now than a
year ago, they are not migrating to full-time jobs for an employer. In
fact, fewer Americans are working full-time for an employer than were
doing so a year ago, and more Americans are working part time.
Although part-time work is clearly better than no work at all, these
are not the types of good jobs that millions of Americans are still
searching for.”

Read more:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/161063/payroll-population-rate-falls-further-february.aspx

“Tonight, let’s declare that, in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works fulltime should have to live in poverty — and raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.”…Barack Obama

Obama is fixing that by making them all part time workers.

Obama aka Big Brother demands health care increase reports, Health insurance companies to report all price increases, Orwellian rectifying?, Thwart bad news?

Obama aka Big Brother demands health care increase reports, Health insurance companies to report all price increases, Orwellian rectifying?, Thwart bad news?

“And so our goal on health care is, if we can get, instead of health care costs going up 6 percent a year, it’s going up at the level of inflation, maybe just slightly above inflation, we’ve made huge progress. And by the way, that is the single most important thing we could do in terms of reducing our deficit. That’s why we did it.”…Barack Obama

“However … health insurance rates and benefit coverage plan costs have continued to increase. As a result of those increases, county employees have experienced a pay decrease that has grown larger each year.”…Guilford County Interim Manager Sharisse Fuller

“the Times of the nineteenth of December had published the official forecasts of the output of various classes of consumption goods in the fourth quarter of 1983, which was also the sixth quarter of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong. Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.”…George Orwell, “1984”

Obama, aka Big Brother, is demanding that all health care increases be reported to him. Apparently too many reports of health care insurance increases are being reported and they must be rectified.

Once again we look to George Orwell for guidance. Refer to “1984” and set your decoder rings accordingly.

From the NY Times March 3, 2013.

“Obama Asks Health Plans to Report Rising Rates”

“The Obama administration says it will require health insurance companies to report all price increases, no matter how small, to the federal government so officials can monitor the impact of the new health care law and insurers’ compliance with it.

Under current rules, the federal government requires insurers to report information on rate increases of 10 percent or more. New rules being issued by the administration will extend this requirement to all rate increases for all health plans sold to individuals, families and small businesses — a total of 60 million people.

Federal health officials said they needed the additional data to monitor trends in premiums as major provisions of the law take effect and more people buy insurance.

“The purpose of this policy is to identify patterns that could indicate market disruption, which could occur given the additional standards that apply” to insurance starting next year, the administration said in a justification of the rules adopted by Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services.

Under the new law, Ms. Sebelius said, she is supposed to “monitor premium increases of health insurance coverage” inside and outside the regulated state-level markets known as insurance exchanges.”

“A fierce debate has erupted over the impact of Mr. Obama’s health care law. Insurers and employers predict that it will drive up premiums, especially for healthy people under the age of 35. The White House disputes that prediction and says that many factors will lead to lower prices.”

“The White House says the fears of “rate shock” are overblown. Consumers can move from expensive health plans to more efficient, lower-cost plans, the administration says. It says critics who focus on premiums do not take account of other provisions of the law that limit how much consumers will spend out of their own pockets for health care.”

Read more:

From Citizen Wells March 4, 2013.

“The county has cut costs for the past two years by increasing co-pays,
deductible amounts and out-of-pocket maximums for employees.

“Over the last four years, no merit increases have been awarded to
Guilford County employees,” Fuller said Friday in an email. “However
… health insurance rates and benefit coverage plan costs have
continued to increase. As a result of those increases, county
employees have experienced a pay decrease that has grown larger each
year.””

““It looks to me like Obamacare is causing prices to go up and will
continue to make prices go up,” Henning said. “That’s something we’re
going to have to deal with, like everyone else in this economy.”

“The question is do you raise costs or do you cut services?” Henning
said. “Hopefully, we won’t do either. But health care costs are going
up for everyone. County employees aren’t immune.””

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/guilford-county-nc-healthcare-cost-increases-may-cause-benefit-cuts-obamacare-costs-no-pay-raises-in-4-years-obamacare-is-causing-prices-to-go-up/

From Citizen Wells September 26, 2012.

“Health Insurance Costs Skyrocket For College Students Due To ObamaCare”

“Can we stop calling ObamaCare the Affordable Care Act now?

A Young America’s Foundation activist forwarded an email from the Vice President for Finance at his school, Guilford College (Greensboro, NC), informing him that, “For the 2012-13 academic year, the annual cost of the student health insurance is increasing from $668 to $1,179. This insurance premium has been charged to your student account.”

Why the increase? “Our student health insurance policy premium has been substantially increased due to changes required by federal regulations issued on March 16, 2012 under the Affordable Care Act.”

“Guilford joins a long list of colleges raising their premiums. Virtually all current student insurance plans do not meet ObamaCare’s mandates, and Forbes reports colleges have been forced to drop their plans or raise their premiums rates as much as 1,112% (and no, that’s not a typo).”

“Lenoir-Rhyne University (Hickory, NC) raised theirs from $245 to $2,507″

“Health Premiums Up $3,000; Obama Vowed $2,500 Cut”

“During his first run for president, Barack Obama made one very specific promise to voters: He would cut health insurance premiums for families by $2,500, and do so in his first term.

But it turns out that family premiums have increased by more than $3,000 since Obama’s vow, according to the latest annual Kaiser Family Foundation employee health benefits survey.

Premiums for employer-provided family coverage rose $3,065 — 24% — from 2008 to 2012, the Kaiser survey found. Even if you start counting in 2009, premiums have climbed $2,370.

What’s more, premiums climbed faster in Obama’s four years than they did in the previous four under President Bush, the survey data show.

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/health-premiums-up-3000-obama-promised-2500-cut-student-health-care-doubles-triples-and-more-obamacare-another-obama-lie-kaiser-survey/

Guilford county NC healthcare cost increases may cause benefit cuts, Obamacare costs, No pay raises in 4 years, Obamacare is causing prices to go up

Guilford county NC healthcare cost increases may cause benefit cuts, Obamacare costs, No pay raises in 4 years, Obamacare is causing prices to go up

“And so our goal on health care is, if we can get, instead of health care costs going up 6 percent a year, it’s going up at the level of inflation, maybe just slightly above inflation, we’ve made huge progress. And by the way, that is the single most important thing we could do in terms of reducing our deficit. That’s why we did it.”…Barack Obama

“However … health insurance rates and benefit coverage plan costs have continued to increase. As a result of those increases, county employees have experienced a pay decrease that has grown larger each year.”…Guilford County Interim Manager Sharisse Fuller

“Guilford (Large NC County) appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits. Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.”…Greensboro News Record December 2, 2011

We warned you.

From the Greensboro News Record March 4, 2013.

“Guilford workers could see cuts to health benefits”
“Some county leaders say it’s possible — but they hope it can be avoided.

Guilford County commissioners are searching for where to save money as
the county faces a $41 million budget deficit. This month, the
commissioners plan to meet with representatives from UnitedHealthcare,
which manages health insurance for county employees, about how the
company can provide savings to the county.

The meeting has some commissioners nervous on behalf of employees they
say are already struggling.

“I am concerned that the purpose of that discussion will be to take
away some of the benefits that our employees now have,” Commissioner
Carolyn Coleman said. “They haven’t had a raise in four years. We
don’t have the same insurance that the Senate or the president have,
but it’s decent insurance. I think we owe it to them to provide the
best insurance we can.””

“The county has cut costs for the past two years by increasing co-pays,
deductible amounts and out-of-pocket maximums for employees.

“Over the last four years, no merit increases have been awarded to
Guilford County employees,” Fuller said Friday in an email. “However
… health insurance rates and benefit coverage plan costs have
continued to increase. As a result of those increases, county
employees have experienced a pay decrease that has grown larger each
year.””

““It looks to me like Obamacare is causing prices to go up and will
continue to make prices go up,” Henning said. “That’s something we’re
going to have to deal with, like everyone else in this economy.”

“The question is do you raise costs or do you cut services?” Henning
said. “Hopefully, we won’t do either. But health care costs are going
up for everyone. County employees aren’t immune.””

Read more:

http://www.news-record.com/news/826898-91/costs-could-erode-county-benefits

Obama sequester lies reported by Washington Post, Obama false claim of Capitol janitors receiving pay cut, Obama gets 4 Pinocchios, Post receives 4 Murrows

Obama sequester lies reported by Washington Post, Obama false claim of Capitol janitors receiving pay cut, Obama gets 4 Pinocchios, Post receives 4 Murrows

“Starting tomorrow everybody here, all the folks who are cleaning the floors at the Capitol. Now that Congress has left, somebody’s going to be vacuuming and cleaning those floors and throwing out the garbage. They’re going to have less pay. The janitors, the security guards, they just got a pay cut, and they’ve got to figure out how to manage that. That’s real.”… Obama news conference, March 1, 2013

“dedicated his life as a newsman and as a public official to the unrelenting search for truth.”…Lyndon B. Johnson

“The function of the press is very high. It is almost Holy.
It ought to serve as a forum for the people, through which
the people may know freely what is going on. To misstate or
suppress the news is a breach of trust.”…. Louis D. Brandeis

Hats off to the Washington Post for reporting the truth about Obama sequester lies.

From the Washington Post March 1, 2013.
“Sequester spin: Obama’s false claim of Capitol janitors receiving ‘a pay cut’”

“This column has been updated with a new Pinocchio rating

This was a pretty evocative image the president offered at his news conference Friday on the sequester — janitors sweeping the empty halls of the Capitol, laboring at less pay.

When we first heard his remarks, we thought he was perhaps overstating matters. Even at federal agencies that have planned furloughs, none are expected to begin on Saturday; such actions are weeks away at many federal agencies. But that’s perhaps a minor rhetorical overreach.

But then our colleague Ed O’Keefe obtained the sequester plan released by the Architect for the Capitol, which employs Capitol Hill janitors on the House side. (The Sergeant at Arms employs the janitorial staff on the Senate side.) UPDATE: Obama’s remarks also prompted a warning from AOC officials that his comments were “not true.”

The Facts

We have embedded an image of the first AOC document below. Stephen T. Ayers, the  architect of the Capitol, listed a number of steps being taken to reduce expenses, including limiting new hiring and postponing repairs. This line jumped out at us: “We do not anticipate furloughs for AOC employees as a result of Sequestration.””

“(The White House officials’ aggressive pushback of this column ended after we sent a copy of this email to them.)

On the Senate side of the building, Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer said the cleaning technicians are his employees–not contract employees, except for setting up rooms for meetings and events.

“None of my employees will have their pay cut nor will they face furloughs assuming the cost saving strategies initiated months ago (hiring freeze, overtime reduction and delayed in equipment replacement etc.), in conjunction with a very aggressive early retirement program we began two weeks ago, reap the savings anticipated,” he said in an e-mail.

As for security guards at the Capitol, Gainer, who is chairman of the Capitol Hill Police Board, added:

“Our Centurions will face neither pay cuts nor furloughs; they are standing tall through sequestration and all. (We are saving $ by reducing overtime which is accomplished by closing doors of convenience, safety will not be compromised but health improved for visitors and staff by longer treks. )”

The Pinocchio Test

Obama’s remarks continue the administration’s pattern of overstating the potential impact of the sequester, which we have explored this week. But this error is particularly bad–and nerve-wracking to the janitors and security guards who were misled by the president’s comments.

We originally thought this was maybe a Two Pinocchio rating, but in light of the AOC memo and the confirmation that security guards will not face a pay cut, nothing in Obama’s statement came close to being correct.

Four Pinocchios”

Read more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/sequester-spin-obamas-incorrect-claim-of-capitol-janitors-receiving-a-pay-cut/2013/03/01/3407535c-82a9-11e2-b99e-6baf4ebe42df_blog.html

In the spirit of Edward R. Murrow and his never ending search for the truth, I award the Washington Post 4 Murrows.

Murrows4

Unemployment insurance weekly claims, February 21, 2013, US Labor Dept., Increase of 20k, 4 week moving average up 8 thousand, Labor force dropouts not reflected

Unemployment insurance weekly claims, February 21, 2013, US Labor Dept., Increase of 20k, 4 week moving average up 8 thousand, Labor force dropouts not reflected

“With a 63.7% labor force participation, “conditions in the labor market are considerably worse than indicated” in July’s report”…economist Joshua Shapiro, WSJ August 3, 2012

“Guilford (Large NC County) appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits. Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.”…Greensboro News Record December 2, 2011

“the Times of the nineteenth of December had published the official forecasts of the output of various classes of consumption goods in the fourth quarter of 1983, which was also the sixth quarter of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong. Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.”…George Orwell, “1984″

 

From the US Labor Dept. February 21, 2013.

“UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending February 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 362,000, an increase of 20,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 342,000. The 4-week moving average was 360,750, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week’s revised average of 352,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending February 9, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending February 9 was 3,148,000, an increase of 11,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 3,137,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,186,250, a decrease of 6,750 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,193,000.”

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/current.htm

Remember, those who have dropped out of the labor force are not reflected in these figures.

Obama for dummies, Raising miminum wage hurts employment and consumers, Businesses don’t pay for increase, Employees and consumers pay, Higher unemployment and prices

Obama for dummies, Raising miminum wage hurts employment and consumers, Businesses don’t pay for increase, Employees and consumers pay, Higher unemployment and prices

“Tonight, let’s declare that, in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works fulltime should have to live in poverty — and raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.”…Barack Obama

“The truth is, raising the minimum wage could be just about the worst thing he could do for the jobs market. We are already 7 million jobs in the hole, 7 million fewer jobs than when the President took office. Raising the minimum wage means employers whose businesses are struggling will simply get rid of jobs. They will cut workers. According to the Heritage Foundation, the last minimum wage increase eliminated 300,000 jobs”…Gerri Willis Fox News

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

The following, as Rush Limbaugh would say, is designed to educate low information voters.

Just as businesses do not pay taxes, they do not pay for minimum wage increases. Employees and consumers do.

Examples:

Company A has 10 college student employees receiving the minimum wage. With an increase, they are forced to let one employee go.

Company B, a taxi service in a small city, serves primarily people without cars. They have twenty drivers receiving minimum wage but they also receive tips. With a minimum wage increase the company is forced to cut back on hours and raise prices. The impact on lower income people is higher fares and reduced availability.

Company C is growing. They need to hire several employees. They start them at minimum wage but give performance raises after 6 months. With the minimum wage increase they are forced to review their hiring plans. The higher minimum wage coupled with increased health care costs will delay hiring plans.

Company D, a cable provider, uses many minimum wage employees. They are the only game in town so they raise prices. People complain but still want cable.

From Fox Business February 13, 2013.

“The truth is, raising the minimum wage could be just about the worst thing he could do for the jobs market. We are already 7 million jobs in the hole, 7 million fewer jobs than when the President took office. Raising the minimum wage means employers whose businesses are struggling will simply get rid of jobs. They will cut workers. According to the Heritage Foundation, the last minimum wage increase eliminated 300,000 jobs,

For a president who says he won’t sleep until everybody who wants a job has one, get some NoDoz because there are going to be some sleepless nights.

There are unintended consequences of a higher wage policy, but there is also the fact that the President inaccurately depicts the people on minimum wage. If you surmised from the President’s description that minimum wage workers were single mothers balancing a job at McDonald’s and caring for her children, you’d be wrong.  Most minimum wage workers aren’t adults but people 25 years of age and under, and 60% work part-time.

The true picture of the typical minimum wage worker is a high school or college student with a part-time job, balancing work with the demands of an academic life. Do they deserve a 14% pay hike?

According to the Heritage Foundation, people who are paid minimum wage typically live in households with incomes two or more times over the official poverty level. Non-economists refer to them as mom and dad.

Here’s what the President doesn’t understand that you probably do: minimum wage jobs are training positions. The employer contributes every bit as much to the worker in terms of training teaching job skills, good work habits, how to meet expectations, as the worker does. That’s why these folks aren’t getting top dollar. They are newbies.

The job market is full of people performing at different levels and they all don’t get paid the same amount of money! That is fair, right and good.

Oh, and by the way, two-thirds of minimum wage workers don’t earn minimum wage after a year. They get a raise!”

Read more:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/blog/2013/02/13/obama-s-minimum-wage-job-killer

Economics 101

From Citizen Wells April 3, 2012.

“What about taxes?

First, the corporate tax rate in the US is near or at the top in the world.

US oil companies pay enormous amounts of taxes. How does this compare to one of Obama’s pay to play buddies GE? Check this out for yourself.

Here is the really important point about raising taxes on oil companies and other companies.

Companies (corporations, LLC’s, partnerships, sole proprietors) do not paytaxes!

Consumers pay for the tax increases.

Taxes are part of the cost of doing business.

A tax increase to a company results in some combination of the following:

Product and service price increases.

Employee and hours cutbacks.

Reduced hiring.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/obama-lies-on-oil-companies-taxes-profits-and-impact-on-consumers-obama-energy-policy-based-on-chicago-pay-to-play-politics-truth-team-notification/

Obama Democrats destroy Black employment, African American unemployment up 6 percent since Democrats took congress, Over 1 percent in Obama admin, Numbers don’t lie Obama does

Obama Democrats destroy Black employment, African American unemployment up 6 percent since Democrats took congress, Over 1 percent in Obama admin, Numbers don’t lie Obama does

“The United States economy has lost more jobs than it has added since the recovery began over a year ago.”…NY Times Sept. 20, 2010.

“With a 63.7% labor force participation, “conditions in the labor market are considerably worse than indicated” in July’s report”…economist Joshua Shapiro, WSJ August 3, 2012

“Numbers don’t lie, Obama does.”…Citizen Wells

Rush Limbaugh had a black caller from Georgia today. The caller voiced his frustration with blacks supporting Obama and the Democrat Party even though unemployment has gotten worse under their regimes. He made the example of blacks leaving unemployment lines to vote for Obama and then returning to the unemployment line.

Here are the numbers from the US Labor Dept.

In January of 2007 when the Democrats took control of both houses of Congress the unemployment rate for blacks was 7.9 percent.

In January of 2009 when Obama took control of the White House the unemployment rate for blacks was 12.7 percent.

In January of 2013 the unemployment rate for blacks was 13.8 percent.

That is a 6 percent increase since the Democrats took control of Congress and over 1 percent increase since Obama took control of the White House.

http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab2.htm

From Citizen Wells  July 21, 2012.

“Citizen Wells: I smell a rat. A NC Democrat Convention rat.

Also significant from the report are the following unemployment increases from April to June 2012.

Blacks: From 13.0 to 14.4 percent.

Asians: From 5.2 to 6.3 percent.

Hispanics: From 10.3 to 11.0 percent.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/july-21-2012-obama-economy-and-jobs-bleak-27-states-recorded-unemployment-rate-increases-black-unemployment-up-1-4-percent-in-2-months-nc-rate-suspect/

From Citizen Wells October 21, 2012.

“California has the third highest unemployment rate in the country at 10.2 percent. CA has been getting a lot of press recently for suspicious reporting the prior week that skewed the US Labor Dept. unemployment claims report. What you are probably not getting from the media is the fact that since February 2012, the labor force participation rate has dropped more than the unemployment rate.”

“The following data is taken from the California Labor Market Review for September 2012.

There is more than suspect reporting in initial unemployment claims from CA. On Page 7 we find the changes in unemployment rate and labor force participation rate from February to September 2012 under seasonally adjusted.
February 2012.

Unemployment rate 10.9 %    LF Participation rate 63.3 %.

September 2012.

Unemployment rate 10.2 %    LF Participation rate 62.4 %.

The Labor Force Participation Rate dropped more than the unemployment rate. 

So the following claim:

“The California unemployment rate was 10.2 percent in September, down 0.4
percentage point from August.”

is very misleading.

The following facts are also interesting.
“By race and ethnicity, the September 2012 unemployment rate for blacks was 18.1 percent, Hispanics 13.2 percent, and whites 10.5 percent.””

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/california-data-skewed-labor-dept-unemployment-claims-report-ca-data-reveals-real-unemployment-rate-labor-force-participation-rate-62-4-dropped-more-than-unemployment-rate-since-feb-2012/

Unemployment impact on American households, February 7, 2013, NY Times reports Rutgers study, Nearly a quarter layed off, Recession all consuming, Real unemployment rate

Unemployment impact on American households, February 7, 2013, NY Times reports Rutgers study, Nearly a quarter layed off, Recession all consuming, Real unemployment rate

“With a 63.7% labor force participation, “conditions in the labor market are considerably worse than indicated” in July’s report”…economist Joshua Shapiro, WSJ August 3, 2012

“The United States economy has lost more jobs than it has added since the recovery began over a year ago.”…NY Times Sept. 20, 2010.

“the Times of the nineteenth of December had published the official forecasts of the output of various classes of consumption goods in the fourth quarter of 1983, which was also the sixth quarter of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong. Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.”…George Orwell, “1984″

The following is a decent article from the NY Times except for the fact that it fails to accurately reflect the real unemployment rate. That is, the large number of people who have dropped out of the workforce, i.e., the large drop in the Labor Force Participation Rate.

Where I come from, if you are going to report the truth about unemployment and the impact on American households, you do not omit that important fact.

From the NY Times February 7, 2013.

“Profound Weight of Layoffs Is Seen in Work Trends Survey”
“Layoffs have touched nearly every American household in some fashion over the last few years, according to new survey data to be released Thursday by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

While about 8 percent of Americans are unemployed, nearly a quarter of Americans say they were laid off at some point during the recession or afterward, according to the survey. More broadly, nearly eight in 10 say they know someone in their circle of family and friends who has lost a job.

“This to me is why the recession was so all-consuming and is likely to influence the American psyche,” said Cliff Zukin, a public policy and political science professor at Rutgers and co-author of the report. “Almost everyone, four out of five, were directly or one step removed from unemployment and all that goes with it financially, socially, psychologically.”

The survey presented a bleak view of the economic future.

A majority of Americans say they think it will be at least six years before the economy is made whole again, if ever. Three in 10 said the economy would never fully recover from the Great Recession.

“Despite significant improvements in the nation’s labor market, American workers’ concerns about unemployment, the job market, job security and the future of the economy have not changed much since we conducted a similar survey in August 2010,” the report said.

Just a third of Americans surveyed in this poll, conducted from Jan. 9-16, said they thought the economy would be better next year, the same share that said so two years earlier.

Of those laid off in recent years, nearly a quarter said they still had not found a job. Re-employment rates for older workers have been particularly bad, with nearly two-thirds of unemployed people 55 and older saying they actively sought a job for more than a year before finding one or had still not found work.”

Rutgers University study.

Click to access Work_Trends_February_2013.pdf

Here are a few examples of what could have been added to the report:

“The unemployment rate fell by .2 percent only because the labor force participation rate dropped .2 percent to record lows.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/labor-force-participation-rate-drops-to-record-low-unemployment-still-over-8-percent-2-percent-drop-in-labor-force-lowers-unemployment-rate-white-house-brags/

“Here is the acid test, the bottom line on Obama and the Democrats impact on jobs.

When the Democrats took control of congress in January 2007, the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent.

When Obama  took control of the White House in January 2009, the unemployment rate was 7.8 percent.

The stated current unemployment rate is 8.3 percent.

That is job creation???

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000

And that is not all.

The Labor Force Participation Rate has dropped. If that rate had not dropped, the unemployment rate would have been significantly higher.

When the Democrats took control of congress in January 2007, the Labor Force Participation Rate 66.4 percent.

When Obama took control of the White House in January 2009, the Labor Force Participation Rate was 65.7 percent.

The Labor Force Participation Rate currently is 63.7 percent.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/obama-job-facts-august-5-2012-obama-lies-about-jobs-created-fewer-jobs-since-obama-and-democrats-took-control-higher-unemployment-lower-labor-force-participation/

US stated unemployment rate 7.9 percent, Labor force participation rate 63.6 percent, NC unemployment rate up, Berkshire Hathaway buys Greensboro News Record

US stated unemployment rate 7.9 percent, Labor force participation rate 63.6 percent, NC unemployment rate up, Berkshire Hathaway buys Greensboro News Record

“With a 63.7% labor force participation, “conditions in the labor market are considerably worse than indicated” in July’s report”…economist Joshua Shapiro, WSJ August 3, 2012

“Guilford (Large NC County) appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits. Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.”…Greensboro News Record December 2, 2011

“the Times of the nineteenth of December had published the official forecasts of the output of various classes of consumption goods in the fourth quarter of 1983, which was also the sixth quarter of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong. Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.”…George Orwell, “1984”

 

From the US Labor Dept. February 1, 2013.

“Employment Situation Summary”

“Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 157,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 7.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Retail trade, construction, health care, and wholesale trade added jobs over the month.

Household Survey Data

The number of unemployed persons, at 12.3 million, was little changed in January. The unemployment rate was 7.9 percent and has been at or near that level since September 2012. (See table A-1.) (See the note and tables B and C for information about annual population adjustments to the household survey estimates.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (7.3 percent), adult women (7.3 percent), teenagers (23.4 percent), whites (7.0 percent), blacks (13.8 percent), and Hispanics (9.7 percent) showed little or no change in January. The jobless rate for Asians was 6.5 percent (not seasonally adjusted), little changed from a year earlier.
(See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

In January, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was about unchanged at 4.7 million and accounted for 38.1 percent of the unemployed. (See table A-12.)

Both the employment-population ratio (58.6 percent) and the civilian labor force participation rate (63.6 percent) were unchanged in January.”

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

The Orwellian reporting of Obama and economic news is getting worse with no end in sight.

The Greensboro News Record has done a decent job of economic and jobs reporting over the past year.

However,

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway just bought the Greensboro News Record.

“But Kroeger said BH Media likes the News & Record because it is the dominant source of information for the region, and that gives it an edge in attracting advertisers.

Kroeger said it’s important that the print newspaper is affordable and accessible to all readers, even in an economically troubled region.

But plenty of readers want their news by computer, smartphone and iPad. So, BH Media wants to deliver content to those people and earn money in the process.”

http://www.news-record.com/home/latestnews/673320-91/buffett-media-buys-news-

From the Greensboro News Record  January 30, 2013 .

“Update: Jobless rate up slightly in Triad”

“The jobless rate for the Greensboro-High Point metro area was 9.6 percent in December, up from November’s figure of 9.2 percent.

The December rate was lower compared with December 2011, which had a jobless rate of 10.5 percent, according to figures the N.C. Department of Commerce released today.”

http://www.news-record.com/news/business/665883-92/update-jobless-rate-up-slightly

“up slightly”

Is that like slightly pregnant?

Actually, unemployment was up in 97 of 100 counties in NC!

From the Greensboro News Record  February 1, 2013 .

“Greensboro area jobless rate drops, still high”

“No economist likes a 9.6 percent unemployment rate.

But December’s rate in the Greensboro/High Point Metro Area is nearly 1 percentage point lower than it was in December 2011, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Department of Commerce.

“That’s a terrible number, but it’s less terrible than a year ago,” said Andrew Brod, senior research fellow at the Center for Business and Economic Research at UNCG.”

http://www.news-record.com/news/crime/latestnewsnewscrime/666278-92/greensboro-area-jobless-rate-drops

“:jobless rate drops”

How many people read that and believed that it was reality?

Factor in the drop in the labor force participation rate in NC and it may not have dropped from a year ago.

George Orwell must be spinning in his grave.