Why do you want to call people not trying to work "unemployed?"

[pinqy]

Every month, sometimes more frequently, when the topic of unemployment comes up, someone will say "but they don't count those who gave up looking for work as unemployed...if they did, the real unemployment rate would be 1,000%!!!!!!!"

But no one ever anwers WHY you would want to count people not trying to work...or more precisely, some of the people not trying to work...as unemployed.

So which people not doing anything about work would you consider unemployed and why?

 

[Moonglow]

Even when I had a job, I didn't want to work.....

 

[koshergrl]

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

 

[Moonglow]

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

Does a veggie garden count? House work, child rearing, animal husbandry???

 

[Pogo]

Every month, sometimes more frequently, when the topic of unemployment comes up, someone will say "but they don't count those who gave up looking for work as unemployed...if they did, the real unemployment rate would be 1,000%!!!!!!!"

But no one ever anwers WHY you would want to count people not trying to work...or more precisely, some of the people not trying to work...as unemployed.

So which people not doing anything about work would you consider unemployed and why?

Good point.
I myself work on a freelance basis. I can try to hustle up more if I need it, but on the other hand if I don't need it, I don't bother.

Calling me "unemployed" during those periods must assume I want to be employed, always and forever. That's not a safe assumption.

 

[Moonglow]

Every month, sometimes more frequently, when the topic of unemployment comes up, someone will say "but they don't count those who gave up looking for work as unemployed...if they did, the real unemployment rate would be 1,000%!!!!!!!"

But no one ever anwers WHY you would want to count people not trying to work...or more precisely, some of the people not trying to work...as unemployed.

So which people not doing anything about work would you consider unemployed and why?

Good point.
I myself work on a freelance basis. I can try to hustle up more if I need it, but on the other hand if I don't need it, I don't bother.

Calling me "unemployed" during those periods must assume I want to be employed, always and forever. That's not a safe assumption.

I do the same thing, yet have not done much in the last 2 years.....

 

[Pogo]

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

Does a veggie garden count? House work, child rearing, animal husbandry???

It certainly should, in one sense. "Creatively active" might be a better term, if that "creativity" includes, but is not limited to, remuneration for one's products or services. There are clearly more reasons to do things than monetary return.

All of Moonglow's examples above provide a nonmonetary return. Some of them can even turn into monetary ones. Does it at that point suddenly transmogrify into "employment"?

I don't know, but I accomplished something already today. Got to use the word "transmogrify".

 

[Moonglow]

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

Does a veggie garden count? House work, child rearing, animal husbandry???

It certainly should, in one sense. "Creatively active" might be a better term, if that "creativity" includes, but is not limited to, remuneration for one's products or services. There are clearly more reasons to do things than monetary return.

It saves me money which is my goal.....

 

[pinqy]

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

children, retirees, stayhome spouses, those unable to work, prisoners, people in mental institutes...all Unemployed?


Unemployed has never been a complete synonym for "not working."

Oh, and by your definition, someone on vacation, or sick leave, is unemployed.

But you avoided the actual point of the OP.....WHY is that your definition?

 

[Pogo]

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

Does a veggie garden count? House work, child rearing, animal husbandry???

It certainly should, in one sense. "Creatively active" might be a better term, if that "creativity" includes, but is not limited to, remuneration for one's products or services. There are clearly more reasons to do things than monetary return.

It saves me money which is my goal.....

Bingo. It's a dual channel -- acquiring money on one end, saving it on the other. In balance, both work to the same end. Too much of either is out of balance.

I like my work, sometimes I love it... but I ain't about to be consumed by it.

 

[koshergrl]

Bullshit!

You're employed as a freelance artist. That means you make your own hours.

But unemployed means you aren't working. At all.

I love to watch you lunatics try to think of ways to make it look like your idiotic policies lead to anything except unemployment, broken homes, depression, economic destruction, criminality, and death.

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

children, retirees, stayhome spouses, those unable to work, prisoners, people in mental institutes...all Unemployed?


Unemployed has never been a complete synonym for "not working."

Oh, and by your definition, someone on vacation, or sick leave, is unemployed.

But you avoided the actual point of the OP.....WHY is that your definition?

YES.

Here we go with the left changing definitions again.

Unemployed means they aren't employed. Yup, that's what it means. It's my definition because that's what the word means. I see no reason to change it, and I resent the fact that idiots like you think we should change the meaning so that the unemployment numbers look better so you can get away with pretending that your stupid policies WORK when everybody knows they don't.

 

[koshergrl]

"Here let's see how this works out..."

Then you see it doesn't work..so of course the next line of thought is "Well let's change the definitions of everything so it will LOOK like this is a success!"

 

[Moonglow]

Why not, if we can beat the GOP from doing it when they are in office..

 

[Pogo]

Bullshit!

You're employed as a freelance artist. That means you make your own hours.

But unemployed means you aren't working. At all.

I love to watch you lunatics try to think of ways to make it look like your idiotic policies lead to anything except unemployment, broken homes, depression, economic destruction, criminality, and death.

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

children, retirees, stayhome spouses, those unable to work, prisoners, people in mental institutes...all Unemployed?


Unemployed has never been a complete synonym for "not working."

Oh, and by your definition, someone on vacation, or sick leave, is unemployed.

But you avoided the actual point of the OP.....WHY is that your definition?

YES.

Here we go with the left changing definitions again.

Unemployed means they aren't employed. Yup, that's what it means. It's my definition because that's what the word means. I see no reason to change it, and I resent the fact that idiots like you think we should change the meaning so that the unemployment numbers look better so you can get away with pretending that your stupid policies WORK when everybody knows they don't.

See what I mean? Employment mentality makes you angry.

Who are you talking to above anyway KG about the "artist" bit? You ah, failed to employ the quote button.

 

[koshergrl]

Bullshit!

You're employed as a freelance artist. That means you make your own hours.

But unemployed means you aren't working. At all.

I love to watch you lunatics try to think of ways to make it look like your idiotic policies lead to anything except unemployment, broken homes, depression, economic destruction, criminality, and death.

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

children, retirees, stayhome spouses, those unable to work, prisoners, people in mental institutes...all Unemployed?


Unemployed has never been a complete synonym for "not working."

Oh, and by your definition, someone on vacation, or sick leave, is unemployed.

But you avoided the actual point of the OP.....WHY is that your definition?

YES.

Here we go with the left changing definitions again.

Unemployed means they aren't employed. Yup, that's what it means. It's my definition because that's what the word means. I see no reason to change it, and I resent the fact that idiots like you think we should change the meaning so that the unemployment numbers look better so you can get away with pretending that your stupid policies WORK when everybody knows they don't.

See what I mean? Employment mentality makes you angry.

Who are you talking to above anyway KG about the "artist" bit? You ah, failed to employ the quote button.

Nope, what makes me angry is the continual push to change definitions in order to justify a failed dogma.

 

[Pogo]

Bullshit!

You're employed as a freelance artist. That means you make your own hours.

But unemployed means you aren't working. At all.

I love to watch you lunatics try to think of ways to make it look like your idiotic policies lead to anything except unemployment, broken homes, depression, economic destruction, criminality, and death.

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

children, retirees, stayhome spouses, those unable to work, prisoners, people in mental institutes...all Unemployed?


Unemployed has never been a complete synonym for "not working."

Oh, and by your definition, someone on vacation, or sick leave, is unemployed.

But you avoided the actual point of the OP.....WHY is that your definition?

YES.

Here we go with the left changing definitions again.

Unemployed means they aren't employed. Yup, that's what it means. It's my definition because that's what the word means. I see no reason to change it, and I resent the fact that idiots like you think we should change the meaning so that the unemployment numbers look better so you can get away with pretending that your stupid policies WORK when everybody knows they don't.

See what I mean? Employment mentality makes you angry.

Who are you talking to above anyway KG about the "artist" bit? You ah, failed to employ the quote button.

Nope, what makes me angry is the continual push to change definitions in order to justify a failed dogma.

If I'm not working right now --- and I'm not booked to work at any definite time in the future (a state I exist in very frequently) -- am I "employed" or "unemployed"?

If something does then come up in the future, do I become retroactively "had been employed" while I was waiting for that to happen?

 

[Hossfly]

Bullshit!

You're employed as a freelance artist. That means you make your own hours.

But unemployed means you aren't working. At all.

I love to watch you lunatics try to think of ways to make it look like your idiotic policies lead to anything except unemployment, broken homes, depression, economic destruction, criminality, and death.

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

children, retirees, stayhome spouses, those unable to work, prisoners, people in mental institutes...all Unemployed?


Unemployed has never been a complete synonym for "not working."

Oh, and by your definition, someone on vacation, or sick leave, is unemployed.

But you avoided the actual point of the OP.....WHY is that your definition?

YES.

Here we go with the left changing definitions again.

Unemployed means they aren't employed. Yup, that's what it means. It's my definition because that's what the word means. I see no reason to change it, and I resent the fact that idiots like you think we should change the meaning so that the unemployment numbers look better so you can get away with pretending that your stupid policies WORK when everybody knows they don't.

See what I mean? Employment mentality makes you angry.

Who are you talking to above anyway KG about the "artist" bit? You ah, failed to employ the quote button.

Nope, what makes me angry is the continual push to change definitions in order to justify a failed dogma.

If I'm not working right now --- and I'm not booked to work at any definite time in the future (a state I exist in very frequently) -- am I "employed" or "unemployed"?

If something does then come up in the future, do I become retroactively "had been employed" while I was waiting for that to happen?

I wouldn't consider you as being unemployed. When I first retired I worked at a couple part time jobs when I needed extra money for a project without upsetting my budget. I think a person is unemployed if they are willing to work and can't get a job. I know a few people who had executive and managerial jobs that can't get a job in their field and lower paying jobs won't hire them because they're "overqualified."

 

[pinqy]

Bullshit!

You're employed as a freelance artist. That means you make your own hours.

But unemployed means you aren't working. At all.

I love to watch you lunatics try to think of ways to make it look like your idiotic policies lead to anything except unemployment, broken homes, depression, economic destruction, criminality, and death.

Huh?
Anybody who isn't working is unemployed.

You're welcome.

children, retirees, stayhome spouses, those unable to work, prisoners, people in mental institutes...all Unemployed?


Unemployed has never been a complete synonym for "not working."

Oh, and by your definition, someone on vacation, or sick leave, is unemployed.

But you avoided the actual point of the OP.....WHY is that your definition?

YES.

Here we go with the left changing definitions again.

While a dictionary defintion may say that "Unemployed" simply means not employed or not working, that's not even how people use the word, so don't make up things about changing the defintion. You have never heard someone referred to as unemployed and then found out they were retired or a student or otherwise not wanting or not able to work (unless as a joke or irconically) That's not standard usage. And as an economic term, "unemployed" has never meant "everyone not working."

And what does "the left" have to do with it? "The right" and "the center" don't use the word that way either.

And the official definition of not working but actively looked for work has always been the defintion...it's never changed.

And again, you refuse to give any kind of intellectual response as to why you want to call everyone without a job unemployed. What is the purpose and usefulness of such a definition?

 

[koshergrl]

That is how people use the word, and it is the correct usage of the word.

It has to do with the left because the SOLE reason you people give a shit about how the word "unemployed" is used is because the UNEMPLOYMENT numbers in this country belie your myths about how your insane policies put everybody to work and make everybody happy.

 

[rdean]

People who are against education and science are "not trying to work". That much is clear.