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Monday, February 06, 2012

West: Someone's 'Playing Around' With Unemployment Numbers

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) is suspicious about the newly released January unemployment numbers.

In response to news that the overall unemployment rate had dropped to 8.3 percent and the unemployment rate in the black community declined from 15.8 percent to 13.6 percent, West floated the possibility that the numbers might have been cooked.

"Can someone tell me how employment in the black community has improved at a rate three times the national average in just a few months?? With numbers like today, urban communities should be well on their way to economic recovery then! There is something suspicious about the job numbers released today and it has me very concerned," West wondered Friday. "Is this dramatic supposed decrease in black unemployment a result of job creation or is someone playing around with the census numbers??"

Economists reached by The Hill for comment couldn't fully explain the unemployment rate change for the black community. William Darity, a professor of public policy at Duke University specializing in African-American studies and economics, wrote in an email to The Hill that the decline could have been due to a smaller labor force. He called the drop an "unbelievably dramatic drop" but didn't rule out the possibility of someone tampering with the numbers; he said there was no evidence one way or the other.

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The 8 percent must be the people on welfare. People around here say there are plenty of jobs. We need to send them to D.C.

Anonymous said...

I think it's a conspiracy to help Obama. Republicans need to question anything that smacks of progress. We all know that there isn't anything this prez can do that would help our country.

Anonymous said...

1:15 there is a lot he could do but chooses not to do them,Like the pipe line lowering corporate taxes to create growth maybe show some real leadership or just be honest with the American people.

Anonymous said...

2:12
#1 you guys can't in one breadth say "show some leadership" then in the next say he single handedly destroyed the US

#2 seems to me, leadership is making the tough decisions in the face of trash talk from doofus hill billies that refuse to acknowledge facts. i.e. the charge to delay the pipeline was led by republicans from a strongly red state

#3 another great example of you clowns running from the facts. By far the driving reason corporate hiring is slow is lack of consumer demand and increased production. Read a book sometime instead of filling your brain with Newt's BS and Rush's talking points.

Anonymous said...

Consumer demand is down because people that have any money are holding onto as much as they can. Prices are rising so quickly we can't keep up. Gas prices have almost doubled since Obama took office. I guess that is Bush's fault also.

Anonymous said...

1:15 was obviously being sarcastic. I guess you guys didn't see that.

Anonymous said...

3:18, nah but maybe the economic collapse that sent 8 million out of work had something to do with lagging consumer demand

Anonymous said...

Reelection year anything goes!