The Real Unemployment Rate is 11%

According to Ezra Klein at the Washington f***ing Post

In particular, it's this sentence by the Financial Times' Ed Luce, who writes, "According to government statistics, if the same number of people were seeking work today as in 2007, the jobless rate would be 11 percent."

Remember that the unemployment rate is not "how many people don't have jobs?", but "how many people don't have jobs and are actively looking for them?" Let's say you've been looking fruitlessly for five months and realize you've exhausted every job listing in your area. Discouraged, you stop looking, at least for the moment. According to the government, you're no longer unemployed. Congratulations?

ACTUALLY, the rate based on all those who would be working if they could find a job is closer to 17% or something rather than basing it on the 2007 unemployment number. Then there's all the people who've fallen out the back end of unemployment compensation who're counted as not looking for a job. Just more government lies.

You are forgetting that since 2007 we have had a ton of people start to retire. You may have heard of them. They are called the baby boomers.

"The Washington f***ing Post"

They're accounted for. The point is that jobs are shrinking instead of being created (except non-productive government jobs), but still it's at 9% with increasing retirement.

The Leftist Washington f***ing Post.

Despite the fact that we've cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans and corportations to historic lows under both Democrat and Republican administrations.

It's still funny - I think anything regarding news of any sorts should include "f***ing" in the title.

I can see some sweet little old lady on her front porch getting handed a pamphlet titled "f***ing Awake."

That isn't true. We are creating more jobs in the private sector each month and jobs in government have been shrinking drastically. You have it backwards.

Remember what I said about Rush man, it will rot your brain.

You need to take and economics course at a non-leftist institution. The Coolidge, Truman, JFK and Reagan tax cuts all increased government revenue because "trickle down" economics works. (The only taxes you can cut NOW are on the upper 50% since they're the only ones that have taxable incomes.

Bush's tax cuts were working as well but nothing could withstand the negative economic impact of the sub-prime mortgage un-"affordable housing" damage when the bubble burst. And we'd have recovered from that long ago if it weren't for the houses flooding the market from those who were completely unable to afford them in the first place.

Ain't socialism grand. All you need to do is demand something and you get it until the economy crashes. But you ain't seen nuthin' yet. Just wait for Obamacare, it's the same damn thing in spades. We're doing our damnedest to catch up with Europe.

Maybe you ought to rethink Rush, or at least listen.

Public Sector


Private Sector

Your first chart shows only STATE & LOCAL which is way over balanced by the Feds what with a lot of states, counties etc. laying of their employees. Imagine what the Fed gain must be to equal +11.7%. As for your second chart, I've seen that one but the source is conspicuously missing. Probably the White House, the DNC or NPR. Rush +1, Soros-50.