Unemployment Figures

[redqueen]

Are there any experts out there who would care to shed some light on the unreasonably hard-to-find history of the statistic?

It's easy to find the numbers on the BLS website... but what I'm curious about is how the method of calculation has been changed over the years, when it was changed, and how economists in general view those changes.

Doing an online search to find answers to these questions turns up surprisingly little information on the history of this process in the US. I found more info on the UK's system than ours.

[floridablue]

1. Is it Dept of Labor, or Labor Statistics ?

There was a big change in the Raygun boom that stopped counting those whose benefits had run out.

[redqueen]

2. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And I've seen more online claims (not only from blogs but also an article from The Atlantic) that it was changed that way in '94 under the Clinton administration.

So... I'm really interested in finding out what's what on this subject.

[snot]

3. This sounds impt. -- everyone, pls K&R!

Bec. I think those figures are going to keep getting worse for a while.

[redqueen]

4. Thanks!

This is something I've wondered about for a long while...

[Parche]

5. billyskank has them

:woohoo: :woohoo:
:hi:

[redqueen]

6. .

:P

:hi:

[snot]

7. redqueen, this is worth re-posting if it doesn't make greatest on the first try.

[redqueen]

8. Thanks. I might.

*sigh*

[flashl]

9. Try:

Shadow Government Statistics - Analysis Behind and Beyond Government Economic Reporting