Thanks Obama! Unemployment trend he started continues down to 3.6%

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IJTSSG

Golden Member
Aug 12, 2014
1,113
275
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Unemployment is low because people are working two or three jobs. This is known.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Wearing his tan suit like a boss.
Thank God we have a Real American Patriot like Trump who removed Obama's Muslim Prayer Curtains from the East Room! (and had them re-hung them in the Oval Office).
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,511
29,091
146
Don't think it's a matter of "looking at it differently" or trying to give/deny credit to anyone but was rather just a hypothesis about one reason the trend seems to be going the way it is. I'll freely admit my thinking could be completely wrong and perhaps exactly opposite of reality but I was just sort of thinking aloud.

right, what I'm saying is that it wouldn't influence a trend in either direction because the unemployment numbers have always been completely agnostic of retirees.

Employment/Unemployment numbers only account for employable/seeking employment adults.
 

Bitek

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
10,647
5,220
136
Numbers don't lie. However Trump said when he was running the numbers were fake so I wonder if we should trust them even though the method for calculation has not changed.
unemploy1-768x503.png

When did Trump take over? I can't tell from the graph.

W is obvious as hell.

Easier to tell when a Republican took office from a deficit graph and all the red ink.

https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fchuckjones%2Ffiles%2F2019%2F01%2FTRUMP-CRFB-COMMITTEE-FOR-A-RESPONSIBLE-FEDERAL-BUDGET-LARGEST-DEFICIT-IN-A-STRONG-ECONOMY-ABOVE-4-1950-TO-2028-GRAPH.png


Yep, I see the Trump admin now.
 
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bbhaag

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2011
6,604
1,990
146
No, it's just following a familiar pattern from the past few decades. Republicans create the financial problems; Democrats fix the problems; Republicans take credit for fixing the problems.
The State of Illinois might have a slightly different perspective on this than you do.
 

bbhaag

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2011
6,604
1,990
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Once they legalize marijuana they'll be ok.
Yeah we heard the same thing when slots were legalized in bars. Honestly no amount of weed sales is going to fix the pension problem we have and the All Kids Care program. The State could sell as much pot as Mexico exports to the US and it probably still wouldn't cover those two things. haha
Before anyone jumps down my throat I know that is an exaggeration.
 
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Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
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What's awesome is that wages are over $27 per hour as well!

Every administration spins economic data to some degree. Trump merely turns everything into clown car level exaggerations.
 

soundforbjt

Lifer
Feb 15, 2002
17,785
6,032
136
Yeah we heard the same thing when slots were legalized in bars. Honestly no amount of weed sales is going to fix the pension problem we have and the All Kids Care program. The State could sell as much pot as Mexico exports to the US and it probably still wouldn't cover those two things. haha
Before anyone jumps down my throat I know that is an exaggeration.
Didn't they also spend (under Rauner) over $500K on new front doors for the Capital in Springfield? Seems they have more than a pension spending problem.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
26,968
35,582
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Trump is riding a wave that Obama created, but I will admit Team Treason has taken steps to enhance that wave. That enhancement working out for the middle class is a lot less pronounced, and has come at I daresay tremendous environmental cost in some cases.

Careful guys, you poke Rim Job too much he might pick up his toys and head back to the glory hole. TDS something something.
 

bbhaag

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2011
6,604
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Didn't they also spend (under Rauner) over $500K on new front doors for the Capital in Springfield? Seems they have more than a pension spending problem.
I believe is was former Governor Quinn who approved the project and went foreword with it as part of a $50 million renovation to the State capitol. He became Governor when Rod Blagojevich was removed from office for attempting to sell Senator Obama's vacant seat when he became President.
 

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,493
3,159
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THEY never liked giving Obama credit for the good things, so why should we give Trump credit for the good things that just randomly happens during Trump?
IF.... IF we are to give anyone credit and understand this, it's probably Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren's hard work, not Donald Trump.
Remember.... it was Sanders and Warren that originally brought wage into the conversation.
Sanders and Warren insisting workers earn $10 or $13 or $15 an hour. A decent starting wage.
And business then took notice, and took the initiative, well.... for the most part. More so in humiliation than with the desire.
Remember?
Walmart raised their wage then fast food began raising their wage.
So if this good news on employment is to be owned by anyone it's Bernie and Elizabeth as the true owners.
DONALD TRUMP had absolutely NOTHING TO DO with this... NADA! Zilch!
Donald Trump actually resisted raising workers wages, and fought against providing a decent living wage within America. Remember?????

I know Donald Trump lies and often takes credit where no credit is due, BUT.....
When as Americans did we stop listening and seeing the truth?
You can't blame Donald Trump for lying. That is what he lives for, to lie.
But the rest of us should be ashamed if we actually believe Donald Trump or his policies uplifted American workers in any way.
In all fairness, his policies did uplift some. Some being those multibillionaires like Donald Trump. THEY all got raises.

Bernie and Liz gave American workers a better wage, and THAT is why employment is up and more people are working.
For the better wages they are getting thanks to Sanders and Warren.
Not a damn thing to do with Donald Trump.
It's entirely Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren that did the heavy lifting to achieve this.
Donald Trump claiming he did anything for the middle class worker is like a New York rat claiming it helped clean up the streets of New York.
The rats may have eaten a little of that trash off the street, but you are still left with THE RATS.
Comparison to Donald Trump? Yep! It is what it is.
This big fat orange rat taking credit when all he actually did was eat some of the trash.

Ps. Visit my original thread posted first on this subject.
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/more-fake-news-from-bls.2564732
 
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bbhaag

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2011
6,604
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THEY never liked giving Obama credit for the good things, so why should we give Trump credit for the good things that just randomly happens during Trump?
IF.... IF we are to give anyone credit and understand this, it's probably Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren's hard work, not Donald Trump.
Remember.... it was Sanders and Warren that originally brought wage into the conversation.
Sanders and Warren insisting workers earn $10 or $13 or $15 an hour. A decent starting wage.
And business then took notice, and took the initiative, well.... for the most part. More so in humiliation than with the desire.
Remember?
Walmart raised their wage then fast food began raising their wage.
So if this good news on employment is to be owned by anyone it's Bernie and Elizabeth as the true owners.
DONALD TRUMP had absolutely NOTHING TO DO with this... NADA! Zilch!
Donald Trump actually resisted raising workers wages, and fought against providing a decent living wage within America. Remember?????

I know Donald Trump lies and often takes credit where no credit is due, BUT.....
When as Americans did we stop listening and seeing the truth?
You can't blame Donald Trump for lying. That is what he lives for, to lie.
But the rest of us should be ashamed if we actually believe Donald Trump or his policies uplifted American workers in any way.
In all fairness, his policies did uplift some. Some being those multibillionaires like Donald Trump. THEY all got raises.

Bernie and Liz gave American workers a better wage, and THAT is why employment is up and more people are working.
For the better wages they are getting thanks to Sanders and Warren.
Not a damn thing to do with Donald Trump.
It's entirely Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren that did the heavy lifting to achieve this.
Donald Trump claiming he did anything for the middle class worker is like a New York rat claiming it helped clean up the streets of New York.
The rats may have eaten a little of that trash off the street, but you are still left with THE RATS.
Comparison to Donald Trump? Yep! It is what it is.
This big fat orange rat taking credit when all he actually did was eat some of the trash.

Ps. Visit my original thread posted first on this subject.
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/more-fake-news-from-bls.2564732
Did large corporations take the initiative to raise their wage out of humiliation or was it to placate politicians? Most multi billion dollar corporations that are either service based like fast food or retail are investing heavily in automation but they haven't quite reached the point were they can fully rely on it.
Perhaps the wage increases you speak of was in reaction to this fervor that some politicians have for a higher minimum wage in order to placate them until they can reach a point of full automation.

For example my local McDonald's used to have three cash registers on the front counter. During peek times all three registers would be open and taking orders for customers. Now there are two large touch screen monitors were you order your own food and just one register on the counter.
They have eliminated two jobs by doing this. Did McDonald's do this to become more efficient or did they do this in response to the minimum wage becoming $15/hour?
 
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Nov 8, 2012
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The president has very little to do with the overall economy Detective dipshit.

I don't equate the unemployment anymore to Trump than I do to Obummer....
 
Nov 8, 2012
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right, what I'm saying is that it wouldn't influence a trend in either direction because the unemployment numbers have always been completely agnostic of retirees.

Employment/Unemployment numbers only account for employable/seeking employment adults.

People will only remain unemployed as society allows them to. It's really that simple.

Example: I've been to Brazil numerous times since my wife is from there. Never once did I see a panhandler. We're talking in Rio de Janeiro with fivelas, etc... Not once did I see people begging for money. I saw some that are at stoplights walking up and down meticulously to sell their homemade snacks - but I never saw someone with a sign that said "Give me money... I'm too lazy to make it myself? Get up and beg personally? Naw, I'll sit here with a sign".
 
Nov 8, 2012
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Assuming static numbers (nobody hired or fired), people leaving the workforce via retirement would drive up the unemployment percentages, as the percentage of people out of work would increase compared to the number of people in the workforce.

Now, realistically, that's not the case. What's far more probable is that the economy is doing 'okay' for business owners, so they're hiring more compared to a few years ago. It's also possible (but I'm ignorant to this topic) that there's changes to rules regarding how people are counted for 'employed' 'not employed' or 'not seeking'. It's also possible the gig economy has ramped up quite a bit, and now there's people technically considered 'working' even if they're at below minimum wage levels.


No - Actually, it won't.

The unemployment figure is based strictly only on those that which are actively applying for a new position. If you are not applying for a new position - and actually stop applying for jobs - you will not be considered a part of the work force... hence you will not be a part of the unemployment. It's that simple.
 

alcoholbob

Diamond Member
May 24, 2005
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94% of new jobs created since 2005 are gig or temp work, a big part of the low labor force participation rate is discouraged workers who are better off on disability + medicaid than getting a job.
 

[DHT]Osiris

Lifer
Dec 15, 2015
14,004
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No - Actually, it won't.

The unemployment figure is based strictly only on those that which are actively applying for a new position. If you are not applying for a new position - and actually stop applying for jobs - you will not be considered a part of the work force... hence you will not be a part of the unemployment. It's that simple.
I know, re-read what I said in my first paragraph. Assume you have 90% of a workforce of 100m employed, and 10% of that workforce unemployed (so 10m people). Lets say in an exaggerated example, 10m employed people retire in one year. Assuming zero change otherwise, you now only have 80m of your workforce employed, and 10m still searching, thus the percentage of people searching for work goes up.

As I said in my second paragraph though, that's not how the real world works, it's a lot more complicated.
 

nOOky

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2004
2,826
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The president has very little to do with the overall economy Detective dipshit.

I don't equate the unemployment anymore to Trump than I do to Obummer....

Trump takes plenty of credit for unemployment, it's one of his key economic talking points. If he's going to take credit for it, he's also going to have to take credit for it and anything else he says is great because of his policies. Especially when they go the other way, but I suppose then it will be Obama's fault.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,066
1,550
126
People who give up on trying to find employment do not count as unemployed.
People who lost their 50-100K job who now make 25K do not count as unemployed.
People whose jobs were downsized from full time positions with benefits to part time jobs with ne benefits do not count as unemployed.

Unemployment is a very important figure, but, it does not tell the full story of how awful the economy really is for most people.