Chronicling Mitt Romey's Lies

[DOR]

New Weekly Unemployment Claims

This seems like the right place to put this graphy, after Mitt Romney "found" an extra 10 million unemployed in his debate remarks.

[JAD_333]

This seems like the right place to put this graphy, after Mitt Romney "found" an extra 10 million unemployed in his debate remarks.

Are you saying Romney lied? Or did he merely cite what many experts say, that real unemployment is 15-16% or 23 million people. If the official BLM figure is 12.3 million out of work, looks to me like the difference is just around 10 million.

[zraver]

DOR- BLM figures only count people getting unemployment checks, not those whose benefits have run out, who are under-employed (part time workers who want a full time time job) or who have given up and dropped out of the system. Its important to remember that the US government massages the numbers for unemployment and inflation (not counting food and fuel in the CPI) to paint a rosy as possible picture.

[USSWisconsin]

I'd like to believe that this election could make a difference for my family and the people around us - but sadly that doesn't seem very likely.

[DOR]

JAD_333,

Of course Romney lied. There is simply no statistical support for the figure he cited. As for the U-6 data, it is not the normal measure of unemployment, and therefore not useful in comparison to previous periods.

I’d guess most people here would assume the average unemployment rate in the 1980s was lower than in the 1970s, but they’d be wrong (7.3% vs. 6.2%). Similarly, how many know that the U-6 data only stretch back as far as January 1994, and are typically 40% higher than “normal” unemployment data?

Further, it masks those who dropped out of the labor force to attend school or other training, which is highly popular during periods of economic weakness. In short, not useful for non-technical discussions.


zraver,

The graph shows new filings for unemployment benefits, nothing more. It does not show the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, nor, as you point out, those who have used up the entire 99 week benefit period.

It is important to remember that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ integrity is only questioned when the data it produces does not support pre-conceived notions, or specific political agendas.

Oh, and food and fuel are most certainly components of the consumer price index.

[zraver]

Oh, and food and fuel are most certainly components of the consumer price index.

In the US Core CPI does not count food and fuel.

[dalem]

Yeah, otherwise we'd be swarming the Capitol Building with tar & feathers.

-dale

[Roosveltrepub]

Now, I beliee Romney could get us to under 5 percent unemployment in a year. If you end all the extensions they aren't unemployed! The argument the real rate is higher and people can't find work is contrasted by a party stance against all extensions and just reaffirms my belief it's the "party of me" not the GOP. Honestly I will be shocked if the NOV numbers arent even better. Because of Citizens United the wealthy have instead of paying a tax to maybe hire Teachers or Police or uild light rail or hiways have voluntarily paid a "tax" to buy furture polices and hacve created tens of thousands of polling, media, ghraphics, management, accounting, and media jobs with their short term stimulus and they still won't of bought the Presidency but boy oh boy we will see the ROI buried in the fine print if Congress does anything except vote HCR down 30 times next year. I am really surprised at Jack Welch questioning the numbers of course jobs are created when his ilk spend billions attempting to buy goverment in a 8 week period, pollsters, accountants, waiters, chef's, airfares, media work, IT, opposition research, slanderous big budget movies etc etc.....I think it would be better if we had just taxed them a bit since they clearly have the cash to give to goverment officals why not eliminate the middle man and give it to govrment and get something for the nation other than future special prosecutors

[Roosveltrepub]

In the US Core CPI does not count food and fuel.

and that would be because they would give an inaccurate picture because of the speculative nature of their markets? Plus, my fuel costs just plummeted by 50 percent. Nothing lke a hybrid to cut inflation ;)

[Roosveltrepub]

Oh and do people here support the new stances of Mitt Romney or the ones from before the debate or the ones from 2008 or the ones from 2002? His autobiography will be called "tabula Rosa"

[dalem]

Oh and do people here support the new stances of Mitt Romney or the ones from before the debate or the ones from 2008 or the ones from 2002? His autobiography will be called "tabula Rosa"

Yes, yes, yes, and probably. The first 3 are all the same anyway.

And his autobiography may be called lots of things, but at least he'll have waited until he was out of short pants to write it.

-dale

[dalem]

and that would be because they would give an inaccurate picture because of the speculative nature of their markets? Plus, my fuel costs just plummeted by 50 percent. Nothing lke a hybrid to cut inflation ;)

Mmmm, there's nothing like driving coal-powered, eh?

-dale

[Parihaka]

And his autobiography may be called lots of things, but at least he'll have waited until he was out of short pants to write it.

-dale

ha!

[McFire]

...the wealthy have instead of paying a tax to maybe hire Teachers or Police...

Stop the nonsense...Teachers, police, and fire are paid for through the property taxes of businesses and homeowners, not the federal government.

And Jack Welch is spot-on. None of the jobs numbers have changed, and yet it is proclaimed that we are now at 7.8% just in time for the election...best job news since 1983! (interesting too how the top numbers guys at the BLS are obama contributors). It's as absurd as the changing numbers used in global warming/climate change/global warming due to climate change/climate events that constantly change whenever the bullshit flag is hoisted.

[dalem]

But be fair - if that same number had gone up to 8.5 we'd be hanging it like a millstone around Obama's scrawny neck.

-dale