For example - in today's Daily Times - front and center - is an article whereby The Daily Times touts that the local unemployment rate is actually dropping here in Wicomico.
'According to the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, unemployment peaked at 10.5 percent in January of last year in Wicomico County but dropped to 8.7 percent in December.'
As a lifelong resident - I can assure you that these numbers are erroneous as once the unemployment recipients have exhausted their unemployment benefits - then - these individuals fall out of the State unemployment reporting system.
I strongly maintain that the local unemployment rate is more than double - in the order of 20% range - as to what The Daily Times reading audience is being told.
As most of you already probably know - SBYnews has been tabulating the actual number of local business closures, and, the estimated number of displaced workers. We've posted that information a number of times on our site and will do so again very soon.
So keep your eyes glued to SBYnews.
Anyone using the "unemployment rate" as a measure of how many people have a job vs people out of work is either dumb, ignorant or corrupt. The umeployment rate only counts people that apply for unemployment.
ReplyDeleteBecause of government doubletalk the word unemployed does not equal the word jobless.
Some reasons why the unemployment rate is not a true reflection of the population's job status:
1. Some people aren't eligible for unemployment because they may not have paid enough into the system or may have left their job in a way that makes them ineligible.
2. Some employers, as a matter of course, ALWAYS submit paperwork to try to get ex-employees denied unemployment. These employees are generally denied and then have to fight for their unemployment via hearings. Having to face this level of bureaucracy some/many just give up the fight thinking the deck is stacked against them.
3. People can exhaust unemployment benefits and "fall off the roles", this area is particulatly sensative to this given the lack of new businesses that have started in the past several years.
Why would the government not want to give us the real number of people without jobs?
Because the unemployment rate will always be lower. Always.
You're right. It's really irresponsible of the Daily Times to use a legitimate source when gathering their facts and figures. It would be much better if they tried to guess at how many people in the county were on unemployment.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big difference between you and the DT. One of you uses verifiable numbers and governmental agencies, the other "estimates" based on what they have observed.
Funny...my journalism professors probably would have preferred I use the first method.