Clifton appeared on Fox News Thursday.
Interestingly, Clifton noted, At the recession, we lost 13 million jobs, only three million have come back. He said that in the context of explaining misleading numbers, not the cause of the economys failure to create jobs. Certainly business people generally say that they survived the recession by implementing more efficiency, which is shorthand for computers, automation and robots.
One example: When was the last time you phoned an office and got a human receptionist?
Rush Limbaugh had a simple graphic showing Obama unemployment math. The more people drop out, the better the numbers look for the administration.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration secretly distributed 5.5 million work permits to foreigners since 2009. Furthermore, Senator Jeff Sessions (and others) estimate Obamas current imperial amnesty will give work permits to five million illegal aliens.
In short, the jobs economy remains very bad, but the administration is awarding highly desired work permits (the real amnesty) to millions of foreigners to displace citizens.
Following is Cliftons opinion piece that got some attention:
The Big Lie: 5.6% Unemployment, by Jim Clifton, Gallup.com, February 3, 2015
Heres something that many Americans including some of the smartest and most educated among us dont know: The official unemployment rate, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, is extremely misleading.
Right now, were hearing much celebrating from the media, the White House and Wall Street about how unemployment is down to 5.6%. The cheerleading for this number is deafening. The media loves a comeback story, the White House wants to score political points and Wall Street would like you to stay in the market.
None of them will tell you this: If you, a family member or anyone is unemployed and has subsequently given up on finding a job if you are so hopelessly out of work that youve stopped looking over the past four weeks the Department of Labor doesnt count you as unemployed. Thats right. While you are as unemployed as one can possibly be, and tragically may never find work again, you are not counted in the figure we see relentlessly in the news currently 5.6%. Right now, as many as 30 million Americans are either out of work or severely underemployed. Trust me, the vast majority of them arent throwing parties to toast falling unemployment.
Theres another reason why the official rate is misleading. Say youre an out-of-work engineer or healthcare worker or construction worker or retail manager: If you perform a minimum of one hour of work in a week and are paid at least $20 maybe someone pays you to mow their lawn youre not officially counted as unemployed in the much-reported 5.6%. Few Americans know this.
Yet another figure of importance that doesnt get much press: those working part time but wanting full-time work. If you have a degree in chemistry or math and are working 10 hours part time because it is all you can find in other words, you are severely underemployed the government doesnt count you in the 5.6%. Few Americans know this.
Theres no other way to say this. The official unemployment rate, which cruelly overlooks the suffering of the long-term and often permanently unemployed as well as the depressingly underemployed, amounts to a Big Lie.
And its a lie that has consequences, because the great American dream is to have a good job, and in recent years, America has failed to deliver that dream more than it has at any time in recent memory. A good job is an individuals primary identity, their very self-worth, their dignity it establishes the relationship they have with their friends, community and country. When we fail to deliver a good job that fits a citizens talents, training and experience, we are failing the great American dream.
Gallup defines a good job as 30+ hours per week for an organization that provides a regular paycheck. Right now, the U.S. is delivering at a staggeringly low rate of 44%, which is the number of full-time jobs as a percent of the adult population, 18 years and older. We need that to be 50% and a bare minimum of 10 million new, good jobs to replenish Americas middle class.
I hear all the time that unemployment is greatly reduced, but the people arent feeling it. When the media, talking heads, the White House and Wall Street start reporting the truth the percent of Americans in good jobs; jobs that are full time and real then we will quit wondering why Americans arent feeling something that doesnt remotely reflect the reality in their lives. And we will also quit wondering what hollowed out the middle class.
