Never Have I Seen So Much Fake Unemployment and Jobs Data by the Bureau of Labor

Re:Never Have I Seen So Much Fake Unemployment and Jobs Data... by iamthemonster on Wednesday July 08, 2020 @04:05AM (#23767893)

What I don't understand from the article is why I should believe the Labor Department over the Bureau of Labor? There is no evidence presented, the author just states there is a difference and then concludes it is the Bureau of Labor who is wrong. Am I missing something?

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Re:Never Have I Seen So Much Fake Unemployment and Jobs Data... by jmalicki on Wednesday July 08, 2020 @03:39PM (#23773466)

The BLS is the bureau within the labor department that computes these numbers. The BLS is the department of labor.

  There are different numbers based on unemployment claims vs. a survey of people who say they're looking for work.  It is possible to look for work while not being eligible for unemployment insurance, for instance.

During COVID in some places it is possible to receive benefits while not actively looking for work, as the government has shut down many jobs. This is a matter of nuances in the definition of the figures.

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Re:Never Have I Seen So Much Fake Unemployment and Jobs Data... by jjeaff on Wednesday July 08, 2020 @04:52AM (#23768123)

Department of labor would be basing it on hard numbers. The number of people receiving federal benefits. If you fudge those numbers, they wouldn't add up. Bls bases their numbers on surveys. So there is a lot more room to manipulate numbers there.

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