Why the Unemployment Numbers Can't be Cooked/Manipulated

[courseofhistory]

Spread this around and tweet, etc...

]The monthly employment report is released by the BLS, an independent statistical agency within Labor that is staffed by career civil servants, many of whom have served throughout both Democratic and Republican administrations. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis is in charge of GDP. Both agencies are guided by the same directive and rely on similar security measures to keep their data secret until the embargo lifts.

Each agency compartmentalizes the raw data. For the employment report, for example, most BLS analysts only see the data for a single sector, such as health care payrolls. Job growth in different sectors varies, making it difficult to get a clear picture of the headline number from a single category. In September, for example, health care picked up 44,000 jobs. Manufacturing, on the other hand, lost 16,000.

Doors to offices where embargoed data is reviewed are locked, and even within those offices, the data is kept in safes, BLS press officer Gary Steinberg said. Just a handful of employees gather in closed-door meetings to compile the final reports. At the BEA, attendees of these meetings adhere to a superstition: They don’t speak the GDP number aloud, said Thomas Dail, a BEA spokesperson. Materials from the meeting are secured; even scraps of paper bearing doodles and ink cartridges are locked up until the BEA embargo lifts.

The Labor Department has had strict policies in place for decades, said Keith Hall, who served from 2008 through this year as the thirteenth commissioner of the BLS. “BLS is keenly aware—I was certainly keenly aware when I was commissioner—that this is data that has a lot of potential value,” he said.

By Hall’s estimate, more than 100 people are involved in the BLS process from collection to its final analysis for the president. It would be very difficult for the administration to manipulate such a crowd.

LINK

 

[Oddball]

Thanks, Mr. Plouffe.

 

[rdean]

Republicans are pissed. All that work to damage America and bring down the economy to get rid of the "negro". And it could be all for nothing.

 

[Amazed]

We aren't pissed, we aren't worried.....we are simply waiting for November.

 

[bripat9643]

Republicans are pissed. All that work to damage America and bring down the economy to get rid of the "negro". And it could be all for nothing.

What "work" is that? What did Republicans do to damage the economy?

 

[Harry Dresden]

Republicans are pissed. All that work to damage America and bring down the economy to get rid of the "negro". And it could be all for nothing.

i love Democrats like you Dean.....you and assholes like you are the reason many have left and will leave your pathetic party and join the growing ranks of the non-aligned........keep it up....you are the best reason NOT to be a Democrat....

 

[TruthSeeker56]

The BLS unemployment calculations DO NOT INCLUDE:

1. People who are working one or more part-time jobs, but want to work full time.

2. People who are underemployed (Wal Mart greeter with a Master's Degree, etc.)

3. People who are NOT collecting unemployment benefits

4. People who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits

5. People who have completely given up looking for a job

6. Self-employed people who can't find work

The BLS calculations are BOGUS, INACCURATE, and inherently well below the ACTUAL "real world" percentage of unemployed people in the United States.

Apparently the Obama BLS unemployment rate calculation is somehow "different" from the Bush BLS unemployment rate calculation. Must be a conspiracy.

 

[Qantrill]

The BLS unemployment calculations DO NOT INCLUDE:

1. People who are working one or more part-time jobs, but want to work full time.

2. People who are underemployed (Wal Mart greeter with a Master's Degree, etc.)

3. People who are NOT collecting unemployment benefits

4. People who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits

5. People who have completely given up looking for a job

6. Self-employed people who can't find work



The BLS calculations are BOGUS, INACCURATE, and inherently well below the ACTUAL "real world" percentage of unemployed people in the United States.

Apparently the Obama BLS unemployment rate calculation is somehow "different" from the Bush BLS unemployment rate calculation. Must be a conspiracy.

You forgot:

7. The 47 percent that won't work or pay taxes. Welfare leeches.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Spread this around and tweet, etc...

]The monthly employment report is released by the BLS, an independent statistical agency within Labor that is staffed by career civil servants, many of whom have served throughout both Democratic and Republican administrations. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis is in charge of GDP. Both agencies are guided by the same directive and rely on similar security measures to keep their data secret until the embargo lifts.

Each agency compartmentalizes the raw data. For the employment report, for example, most BLS analysts only see the data for a single sector, such as health care payrolls. Job growth in different sectors varies, making it difficult to get a clear picture of the headline number from a single category. In September, for example, health care picked up 44,000 jobs. Manufacturing, on the other hand, lost 16,000.

Doors to offices where embargoed data is reviewed are locked, and even within those offices, the data is kept in safes, BLS press officer Gary Steinberg said. Just a handful of employees gather in closed-door meetings to compile the final reports. At the BEA, attendees of these meetings adhere to a superstition: They don’t speak the GDP number aloud, said Thomas Dail, a BEA spokesperson. Materials from the meeting are secured; even scraps of paper bearing doodles and ink cartridges are locked up until the BEA embargo lifts.

The Labor Department has had strict policies in place for decades, said Keith Hall, who served from 2008 through this year as the thirteenth commissioner of the BLS. “BLS is keenly aware—I was certainly keenly aware when I was commissioner—that this is data that has a lot of potential value,” he said.

By Hall’s estimate, more than 100 people are involved in the BLS process from collection to its final analysis for the president. It would be very difficult for the administration to manipulate such a crowd.

LINK

Simple rule, anytime some says it is impossible to game the system they are wrong. Anything one person can think up to prevent something from happening can be worked around. That does not mean it has happened, just that anyone who actually says it is impossible is a fool or a liar.

 

[courseofhistory]

The BLS unemployment calculations DO NOT INCLUDE:

1. People who are working one or more part-time jobs, but want to work full time.

2. People who are underemployed (Wal Mart greeter with a Master's Degree, etc.)

3. People who are NOT collecting unemployment benefits

4. People who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits

5. People who have completely given up looking for a job

6. Self-employed people who can't find work

The BLS calculations are BOGUS, INACCURATE, and inherently well below the ACTUAL "real world" percentage of unemployed people in the United States.

Apparently the Obama BLS unemployment rate calculation is somehow "different" from the Bush BLS unemployment rate calculation. Must be a conspiracy.

They use the same formulas and directives every time so if they don't use what you say above, they never have and didn't for September.

The seasonal employment is starting now and Sept. is often a good month for putting more people to work.

 

[Dutch]

The BLS unemployment calculations DO NOT INCLUDE:

1. People who are working one or more part-time jobs, but want to work full time.

2. People who are underemployed (Wal Mart greeter with a Master's Degree, etc.)

3. People who are NOT collecting unemployment benefits

4. People who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits

5. People who have completely given up looking for a job

6. Self-employed people who can't find work



The BLS calculations are BOGUS, INACCURATE, and inherently well below the ACTUAL "real world" percentage of unemployed people in the United States.

Apparently the Obama BLS unemployment rate calculation is somehow "different" from the Bush BLS unemployment rate calculation. Must be a conspiracy.

You forgot:

7. The 47 percent that won't work or pay taxes. Welfare leeches.

Part of the 47% percent chief are servicemen and veterans. Wouldn't expect less from a person who uses a traitor as a avatar. Yea I'm from the north and we kicked your ass, get over it.

 

[Shelzin]

Spread this around and tweet, etc...

]The monthly employment report is released by the BLS, an independent statistical agency within Labor that is staffed by career civil servants, many of whom have served throughout both Democratic and Republican administrations. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis is in charge of GDP. Both agencies are guided by the same directive and rely on similar security measures to keep their data secret until the embargo lifts.

Each agency compartmentalizes the raw data. For the employment report, for example, most BLS analysts only see the data for a single sector, such as health care payrolls. Job growth in different sectors varies, making it difficult to get a clear picture of the headline number from a single category. In September, for example, health care picked up 44,000 jobs. Manufacturing, on the other hand, lost 16,000.

Doors to offices where embargoed data is reviewed are locked, and even within those offices, the data is kept in safes, BLS press officer Gary Steinberg said. Just a handful of employees gather in closed-door meetings to compile the final reports. At the BEA, attendees of these meetings adhere to a superstition: They don’t speak the GDP number aloud, said Thomas Dail, a BEA spokesperson. Materials from the meeting are secured; even scraps of paper bearing doodles and ink cartridges are locked up until the BEA embargo lifts.

The Labor Department has had strict policies in place for decades, said Keith Hall, who served from 2008 through this year as the thirteenth commissioner of the BLS. “BLS is keenly aware—I was certainly keenly aware when I was commissioner—that this is data that has a lot of potential value,” he said.

By Hall’s estimate, more than 100 people are involved in the BLS process from collection to its final analysis for the president. It would be very difficult for the administration to manipulate such a crowd.

LINK

Simple rule, anytime some says it is impossible to game the system they are wrong. Anything one person can think up to prevent something from happening can be worked around. That does not mean it has happened, just that anyone who actually says it is impossible is a fool or a liar.

I agree.