Money & The Economy

Unemployment: Tinkering with the Numbers?

CA unemployment line. Photo: Wikimedia

Did you watch the news last week?  A miracle fell into the lap of the president. Three precious weeks before the hotly contested presidential election the ‘newly unemployed’ claims dropped to an unexpected low.

Coupled with the surprising unemployment decline these numbers were heralded by the left as a sure sign this was truly the beginning of the recovery and there were high-fives all around the MSNBC offices. To get unemployed numbers 40,000 less than expected was truly manna from the heavens and fed into the Democratic narrative of an improving economy. These good numbers quickly were incorporated into stump speeches by the left.

But…hold the applause… within a few hours it was reported that one ‘large’ state had not reported all its information. The large state soon revealed as California, a state with critically high unemployment. No, it wasn’t a holiday that interfered but perhaps one government worker was on vacation and didn’t get all the paperwork done. Additionally, multiple economists questioned how the unemployment percentage could be real. Businesses reported only 114,000 real jobs created while an extrapolated 800,000 people found work.

No matter. Democrats across the country gleefully reported these flawed statistics touting their candidate as ‘the one’ who could get us through this trouble he had inherited.

 Until today.

 Job numbers released this morning took a sharp swing on the pendulum back the other direction. As CNBC sadly headlined, Weekly Jobless Claims Drop Proves to be Short-lived.” The timing for those errant numbers last week are suspicious in the least. But those who watch these unemployment claims each week point to an alarming trend of underreporting. The released figures have been revised upward each week for more than 40 weeks in a row.  

Of course, it’s anticipated that President Obama will choose to ignore this week’s numbers. He’ll continue to spin that with more time and more tax payers’ money he will figure out how to fix this mess our country is in.

Still we are left with a significant question: Is it possible for this data to be tinkered with? It will be interesting to see how the numbers are reported once our new administration takes over in 2013.

 

Support Conservative Daily News with a small donation via Paypal or credit card that will go towards supporting the news and commentary you've come to appreciate.

Teresa Wendt

A stay at home mom who runs a household, manages the finances, cares for a young adult autistic son, and cooks from scratch. Traveling from Arizona to Alaska summer of 2013. Visit my blog at https://ramblinroseaz.wordpress.com/ and follow along.

Related Articles

2 Comments

  1. You know that these numbers have been fudged from the end of 2009 until this day; I wouldn’t be surprised if the real unemployment number is above 10%, not underemployment or those who dropped out or have given up looking for work.
    I agree with you – it’ll be interesting what the real numbers are when this lying crew is gone.

    Also wondering where mooch got the idea that we are in a ‘huge’ recovery? Then again, she is as good a liar than obamao.

    1. I have seen reports with the consistent revision up for the unemployment numbers but I couldn’t find my links this morning.
      I’m no statistics expert but it seems to me a penny won’t fall face up 99% of the time. Something is questionable.
      Thanks for your thoughts.
      Teresa

Back to top button