The U6 unemployment rate tabulates not only people without work who are seeking full-time employment but also counts “marginally attached workers and those working part-time for economic reasons.”
Now, study this graph of U-6 at the top and look carefully at the other numbers. What do you see? Seasonally adjusted U-6 unemployment is now [for January 2012] at 15.1%. In January 2011 it was 16.1% and in January 2010 it was 16.7%.
Good news–we are moving the right direction. But bad news–to get back even to 2007 levels [in the 8% range] there is a LONG, LONG way to go!
Those of you who are data hounds (like yours truly) will appreciate the table here–KSH.
Thanks, Canon Harmon.
Rick Santelli pointed out the low labor force participation rate on CNBC [url=http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000071275]here[/url]
Funny how during the previous administration, even the slightest blemish on good news became the lede. Now, for some reason, even deep rot is ignored as nitpicking.
I think we can all count on the MSM to support the current POTUS. Not a surprise.
Headline: Unemployment rate falls, Conservatives outraged!
It didn’t really fall, Alta CA. They just stopped counting some people.
It is important that the truth is not avoided here–the labor market is improving (finally). Whether the trend continues is still up in the air, number one, and, number two, it isn’t nearly the level of improvement that a number of people suggested in their comments and analyses yesterday and today. No matter what, we have to make enormous strides just to get back to the level of employment we were at before the Great Recession began.