Fact Check please ...

[sunnystarr]

* said in his speech today:

"I'm proud to report that more Americans are working today than ever before in our nation's history."

Is it true?

[lazarus]

1. quite possibly

Simply because we have more Americans today. It's a meaningless number.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. Exactly, it's like saying "home ownership is at an all-time high."

[Blue Belle]

8. Kind of like how he got more votes than any other Presdiential Candiate..

simply because there were more registered and active voters than ever before (most of which didn't vote for him). It's a deceptive turn of phrase.

[Shoeempress]

2. And with wages down, it probably takes more members of a family

working full time just to survive.

[Nikki Stone 1]

4. There are more Americans today than ever before, period.

That statement means nothing if he is referring to a raw number.

It's the percentages that are important and the change in these percentages, especially during his administration. Of course, real unemployment stats have been ignored since 2002, so God only knows what the real figures are.

[achtung_circus]

9. And how do you calculate

people working 3 or more part time jobs in an attempt to pay the bills.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. Fun comparison

Based on the total U.S. Population in 1932 compared to today -- are there more unemployed people today than during the Great Depression? Might be pretty close!

[1932]

6. Also consider total wages and percentage unemployment.

Corporate profits depend not on the absolute number of people employed, but on the competition from the unemployed.

If more people are working than ever before because of population growth (from, for example, immigration), that doesn't tell you the whole story. Because of a high percentage of unemployed, those people might be racing for the bottom of the wage scale in an attempt to compete for scarce jobs.

And, betweem unemployment, outsourcing, the destruction of unions, and the three-branch Republican control of the government, I wouldn't be surprised if the total number of people in jobs is at a record high, but average salary from earned income per worker is at the lowest it has been in 30 years. And that would be a very bad nothing no matter how high the number of employed is.

[LiberalEsto]

7. Maybe, but how much are they earning?

And what will their earnings buy?

And WHAT PERCENT of Americans are unemployed?

[libodem]

10. working hard at three $6.00 an hour jobs...

both parents....you know that quaint American condition....

[VOX]

11. On a strict head-count, it's possibly true, but on a jobs-to-person ratio

you *know* it's a different story.

Overly simple example:
Say the total 2005 pop. of the U.S. was 100 people, 54 of whom have jobs...
Now, say the total 2003 pop. of the U.S. was 89 people, 52 of whom have jobs.

By this example, strictly speaking, "more Americans are working today than ever before in our nation's history." :grr: But on a jobs-to-person ratio, it's gotten worse.

[sunnystarr]

12. Thanks everyone ...

I appreciate your input.

[StatGirl]

13. The actual numbers are at the Bureau of Labor Statistics

www.bls.gov

http://www.bls.gov/ces/home.htm (for employment statistics)

http://www.bls.gov/cps/home.htm (for unemployment statistics)

In terms of reported non-farm labor, yes, the value is at an all-time high (estimated 133,347,000). But 6 months ago, it wasn't. The current value is less than 1% higher now than the previous high (132,546,000 in February of 2001, before Mr. Midas Touch got his hands on the economy).

The employment to population (over 16 years old) ratio is currently at 62.7%. That's not an all-time low (values were below 60% from 1948 to 1978), but it's less than the average value of 64.1 during Clinton's second term.

[Nikki Stone 1]

14. Thanks Stat Girl--informative post

:)