Americans WAY OFF On Guessing The Unemployment Rate [Amazing Fact]

In The Young Turks on YouTube by Hlarson1 Comment

 

“The latest jobs report showed the unemployment rate was at its lowest level in six years, 5.8 percent.

But Americans aren’t convinced that things are nearly that good. In a recent Ipsos-MORI poll, 1,001 Americans were asked, “Out of every 100 people of working age, how many do you think are unemployed and looking for work?” Their average response was 32. That’s almost 26 percentage points higher than the 6.1-percent jobless rate in August, when the poll was conducted.

Americans are way, way off here. But they aren’t alone. Here’s how other countries’ average estimated unemployment rates stack up to their actual unemployment rates:”* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

*Read more here:
http://www.vox.com/2014/11/15/7221707/americans-think-the-unemployment-rate-is-32-percent

Comments

  1. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, labor force participation of those people over 16 years of age is 62.8%. Which means that 1/3 eligible workers are not in the work force for whatever reason. Here are a few reasons people are not working but not included as unemployed:
    109,631,000 Americans on welfare – but some could be working (CNSNews)
    21,000,000 Americans full time university students- sharp increase since 2001- but some could be working (NCES)
    650,000 Homeless in America but that number could be much higher – (Hud)
    2,205,280 Prisoners in America (Wikipedia)
    36,000,000 Retired Americans collecting Social Security (CNN)
    20,000,000 Americans collecting other social security benefits -18,000,000 on permanent disability which is administered but not funded by Social Security (CNN)
    I guess Americans look around and see many people not working which is why they think more than 6% of the population is unemployed. The Washington Post estimates that, on top of unemployment, another 13,000,000 people are sidelined from the work force (ie: they want to find work but cannot and do not receive benefits of any kind).
    Who knows? Numbers do lie and America is a bleak place to live and work.
    This is why Americans think that 30% of people are unemployed

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