Unemployment: Government Says 10%, Mint.com Says 17.2%?

This will probably come across as depressing news, which I hate to post on a Friday.

However it is a good reminder that no matter who is in power (Democrat, Republican, etc.) you should always take government propaganda news with a grain of salt, unless it comes from NASA (at least when they’re not talking about the weather).

(Hat Tip: TechCrunch, Source: Mint.com Blog)

Just in case the video went too fast for you, this image below may help explain things a bit easier. (click to enlarge)

17.2% folks! But is that what I’m hearing online/on TV? Unfortunately no (Hat Tip: Hot Air)

(Bureau of Labor Statistics) The unemployment rate edged down to 10.0 percent in November, and nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged (-11,000), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In the prior 3 months, payroll job losses had averaged 135,000 a month. In November, employment fell in construction, manufacturing, and information, while temporary help services and health care added jobs.

Household Survey Data

In November, both the number of unemployed persons, at 15.4 million, and the unemployment rate, at 10.0 percent, edged down. At the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.5 million, and the jobless rate was 4.9 percent. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, unemployment rates for adult men (10.5 per-cent), adult women (7.9 percent), teenagers (26.7 percent), whites (9.3 per-cent), blacks (15.6 percent), and Hispanics (12.7 percent) showed little change in November. The unemployment rate for Asians was 7.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

Now some people may argue that part-time doesn’t count, or that those who give up shouldn’t be included because they are losers (or something of that twisted logic).

But seriously whether it was 5% or 25%, the only thing I ask is the government be honest about it. Will a higher figure scare the masses? Probably. After all the higher figure is very scary (at least to me).

But at least it would be truthful, which might motivate our spend thrift politicians  and private businesses to do something about it! Aside for more bailouts (which may include newspapers in the future! Ghetto!).