NC Unemployment Rate Drops Below National Average to 6.2%. “April unemployment rate falls to 6.2 percent in NC” is the headline most papers used. N&R’s headline reads “Still ‘some room to go’ for North Carolina’s economy.”
Why do hundreds of headlines celebrate the unemployment rate drop, but the N&R takes a glass half-empty approach. Would the headline be the same if Democrats were in power in NC?
Some of the other headlines for that AP story from around the country:
Unemployment Declines in Carolinas Far Outpace US – Wall Street Journal
State unemployment rate falls to new low
Unemployment continues to drop, state added jobs
April unemployment numbers show more people at work
News & Record’s Headline About Unemployment Rate Drop in NC
greensboroobserver 
Because it’s not real! If anyone is closely following unemployment in this country they will know the numbers don’t mean a thing. Every week in this country, because the misers in Washington decided against extending emergency unemployment,approximately 72,000 people nationwide fall off the unemployment roll – they are no longer counted. THAT’S why the unemployment numbers are dropping. Washington thinks their constituents are idiots.
Nellie, this is more a commentary about the media than it is the methodology used. You have the media fawn all over GDP growth that are anemic but take pause when positive numbers are put out by an administration with whose political ideology the are not in line with.if Bev put this out, it wod much lauded.
You do understand that the unemployment rate doesn’t just count those on unemployed benefits. That’s an urban myth. Explained by gov – http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm
A survey, Marty? They actually determine unemployment numbers via means of a survey. Do you know of anyone anywhere who has actually participated in this survey? And with the long term unemployed being the people most likely not to have telephones in their homes wouldn’t they be most likely to be missed by this survey? With the long term unemployed being the people most likely to be homeless or in temporary housing situations wouldn’t they be the ones to be most likely missed by this survey?
The fact is: no matter how it’s counted the numbers are much higher than the 6.2% quoted.
How would you suggest the government measure unemployment?
I really don’t know the answer but I doubt a survey that small could possibly work.
Labor participation rate (62%) at an all time low. IIRC, some 92 million not working. Also need to look at what kind of jobs are being created.