Trump Right Again: The Unemployment Rate Does Not Count People Who Have Not
Looked For Work
Conclusion
In a December interview with Fox News, Donald Trump criticized the relatively
low unemployment rate as deceptive, saying, "take a look at the real jobs
report, which are the millions of people that gave up looking for work, and
they're not considered in that number that's less than 5 percent."
Trump is correct. The unemployment rate does not count people who have not
looked for work...[1]
=====
Fact Check: Are People Who Have Stopped Looking For Work Counted In The
Unemployment Rate?
In a Fox News Sunday interview with host Chris Wallace, President-elect Donald
Trump criticized the official unemployment rate as failing to provide a
complete picture of the workforce. "[Y]ou look at what's going on-and you can
look at a jobs report, but take a look at the real jobs report, which are the
millions of people that gave up looking for work, and they're not considered in
that number that's less than 5 percent."[1]
Is Trump correct that the unemployment rate does not account for millions of
people who have given up looking for work?
Yes. The official unemployment rate calculated by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics excludes people who have not actively sought a job in the preceding
four weeks, as they are no longer considered part of the civilian labor force.
Background
Trump's comment to Wallace is not the first time that he has challenged the
utility of the unemployment rate. At a post-election rally in Des Moines, Iowa
on December 8, he called the unemployment rate "total fiction" (which earned
him four Pinocchios from the Washington Post's fact-checker feature).[2]
After winning the New Hampshire primary, he told supporters not to "believe
those phony numbers when you hear 4.9 and 5 percent unemployment. The number's
probably 28, 29, as high as 35. In fact, I even heard recently 42 percent."
(Politifact rated this claim as "Pants on Fire.")[3]
However, Trump is correct in stating that the unemployment rate is a
comparatively narrow measure.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes six
measures of "labor underutilization" each month.[4] In his critiques, Trump is
referring to the BLS U-3 unemployment rate. That figure has hovered around 5
percent throughout 2016.[5]
2016 - Unemployment Rate by Month
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov.
4.9% 4.9% 5.0% 5.0% 4.7% 4.9% 4.9% 4.9% 5.0% 4.9% 4.6%
This unemployment rate is based on a monthly survey of 60,000 households, and
including individuals age 16 and up.[6]
According to the BLS, "People are considered employed if they did any work at
all for pay or profit during the survey reference week," including all part-
time and temporary work, regular full-time, year-round employment, and if a
person has a job which they did not work during the survey week due to factors
like illness, parental leave, or a labor dispute.[6]
People are classified as unemployed "if they do not have a job, have actively
looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work."[6]
The total of employed and unemployed people makes up the civilian labor force.
The unemployment rate, then, "reflects the number of unemployed people as a
percentage of the labor force."[6]
Trump is correct that people who "gave up looking for work" are not counted in
this unemployment rate. A person who has not actively looked for work for more
than 4 weeks is not designated as either employed or unemployed.
Labor force participation
Americans outside of the labor force are counted in the "labor force
participation rate." The rate refers to the percentage of the population that
is either working or actively seeking work.[6]
Since the end of the most recent recession in June 2009 through November 2016,
the unemployment rate has fallen from 9.5 percent to 4.6 percent.[7][5] The
labor force participation rate has fallen, too, though, from 65.7 percent in
June 2009 to 62.7 percent in November 2016.[8]
Conclusion
In a December interview with Fox News, Donald Trump criticized the relatively
low unemployment rate as deceptive, saying, "take a look at the real jobs
report, which are the millions of people that gave up looking for work, and
they're not considered in that number that's less than 5 percent."[1]
[1] TRUMP IS CORRECT. The unemployment rate does not count people who have not
looked for work in four weeks. These individuals are counted in the labor force
participation rate, which at 62.7 percent is near the ten-year low of 62.4
percent.
[2]
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Are_people_who_have_stopped_looking_for_work
_counted_in_the_unemployment_rate#cite_note-2
[3]
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Are_people_who_have_stopped_looking_for_work
_counted_in_the_unemployment_rate#cite_note-3
[4]
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Are_people_who_have_stopped_looking_for_work
_counted_in_the_unemployment_rate#cite_note-4
[5]
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Are_people_who_have_stopped_looking_for_work
_counted_in_the_unemployment_rate#cite_note-unemployment-5
[6]
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Are_people_who_have_stopped_looking_for_work
_counted_in_the_unemployment_rate#cite_note-how-6
[7]
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Are_people_who_have_stopped_looking_for_work
_counted_in_the_unemployment_rate#cite_note-7
[8]
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Are_people_who_have_stopped_looking_for_work
_counted_in_the_unemployment_rate#cite_note-8
============================================================================
AlleyCat is one of the several people who dominate Rudy on a daily basis,
keeping their bootheels on his little pencil neck to the amusement of all.
[I Just *LOVE* The Way This Sig-file Makes Boi-Fucker Lose His Fucking Mind]
Rudy's Little Man's Disease: A disease of short males marked by aggressive
antisocial behavior and constant overcompensation resulting in pompous
mannerisms such as spitting, twitching, swearing, speaking loudly and tough
talk.
"I can kill you with one hand. You know this." - Rudy
The disease only affects teenagers or men who are less than 5' 6" tall.
"I'm about eight inches shorter than Trump [6' 2"]." - Rudy
The severity of this disease is inversely proportional to the height of the
sufferer. Other characteristics of this scourge are a very short penis, acne,
low I.Q and bad etiquette.
Often these males are homophobic to the point of insanity because of latent
sexual orientation issues.
**FAGGOT!** - Rudy Canoza
"Fixed your lie, you you no-fight faggot." - Rudy Canoza
"Thanks for kicking my faggot ass." - Rudy Canoza
"'Self' is redundant, you toothless squat-to-piss no-fight faggot. - Rudy
Canoza
"I've beaten *you* to a bloody pulp, you squat-to-piss *no-fight* faggot -
every fucking time. You're a zero, as every, stale, squat-to-piss *no-fight*
faggot who incessantly bleats about "mommy's basement" *ALWAYS* is." - Rudy
Canoza
"... you you no-fight faggot." - Rudy Canoza
"... you toothless squat-to-piss no-fight faggot" - Rudy Canoza
"Kicked your flabby faggot ass again. Yes." - Rudy Canoza
"You a Squat-to-Piss Faggot." - Rudy Canoza
"The disgusting gurgling, slurping sounds below are just the faggots Hartung,
Sanitary Napkin and Bit of Nothingness enjoying a three-way" - Rudy Canoza
"YOU lose, Nazi faggot." - Rudy Canoza
Little Man's Disease is an untreatable epidemic in this country.
This is Rudy Canoza:
https://i.imgur.com/4FSRuAQ.mp4