When you give up looking for a job, it's like they [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics] consider you employed
Donald Trump, Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2014
I believe that this statement, although asserting a claim based on contradiction (a person who isn’t working, but is documented as working??), encourages an examination of the reasons for a major decline in jobs-seekers throughout the United States. I’m also encouraged to ask questions such as:
- What is the national unemployment rate?
- What are the most consistent reasons for national unemployment?
- What is the demographic profile of people who are claiming or considered to be unemployed?
- In which occupations do citizens tend to be employed? How much money can people in these occupations expect to earn?
(CLICK HERE to visit the U.S. Dept of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey) http://www.bls.gov/
In a complex economy, conventional measures sometimes fall short.
In today’s labor market, the unemployment rate drastically understates the weakness of job opportunities. This is due to the existence of a large pool of “missing workers”–potential workers who, because of weak job opportunities, are neither employed nor actively seeking a job. In other words, these are people who would be either working or looking for work if job opportunities were significantly stronger. Because jobless workers are only counted as unemployed if they are actively seeking work, these “missing workers” are not reflected in the unemployment rate.
