[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 19 (Tuesday, February 8, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE JOBLESS RATE: A STATISTICAL FAKE-OUT

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 8, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, recent headlines have celebrated the most 
recent unemployment statistics from January, which showed the number of 
unemployed Americans to 9 percent. The rate is down from 9.8 percent in 
November, at its lowest level since April 2009. This is the biggest 
two-month decline in the unemployment rate since 1958. This news was 
celebrated along with news of the stock market breaking high levels not 
seen in years.
  But the upbeat headlines celebrating these figures are little comfort 
to the nearly 15 million unemployed Americans. Pull back the headlines 
and you discover a grim reality. More than 40 million Americans are in 
poverty, and that number is actually closer to 50 million, once health 
care, transportation, child care and other costs are included. The 
labor force participation rate, a measure of the number of working-age 
Americans who are employed, are willing to work or are actively looking 
for work, is the lowest it has been in over a generation. The job 
situation has been so grim for so long, that of the more than 6 million 
Americans who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, many have 
given up hope of ever finding a job, and are no longer being counted. 
So before we start patting ourselves on the back for climbing out of 
the Great Recession, let's remember that for too many Americans, 
behavioral economics and celebratory newspaper headlines are not 
something you can eat.

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