Are Jobs Really Up?

Since the beginning of this year we have watched the job ticker go up and down, up and down. We have watched the unemployment filings vacillate to the point where we aren’t really sure what to believe. Unemployment went down when so many were hired to do work for the census, but as soon as those people were out of work then the numbers changed. There are many different variables that go into accounting for the proper numbers on unemployment.


There are those that were just recently hired, or those that were recently fired. Then, we have seasonal workers, and once they are out of work the numbers will change again. Then we have those who were also told that they could not extend their unemployment benefits. Huh? That’s right, in several states, especially in Ohio there were many that were told they could not get their unemployment extended after a bill was signed that would allow them to do so.

Here is the problem; those that were told they could not re-apply or didn’t qualify for whatever reason, are now in limbo. They are no longer getting unemployment, but they are still out of a job. So, how are they being counted?

-Mayer Dallal