Is it just me, or is there any truth to rumors that unemployment is hovering around the 10% mark?

I don’t understand the relationship between your subject question and the narrative you provided, but… these things are always just dog and pony shows (whichever administration decides to be the ringleader) to show the votes that “we care”.

It sure would be nice if they could demonstrate that “we understand”, but I guess I’m dreaming.

Unemployment is a rumor?

Hovering around the 12% mark in my state.

True unemployment is much higher if you factor in those no longer looking for a job. The spin doctors want to paint a best case scenario of turnaround so you will once again invest in stocks, and by corollary prop up Wall Street bankers bonuses. Shadow stats are available. America is fundamentally bankrupt, but in a better position than say Greece, which is totally a basket case. Create your own job and ignore govermment spin.

Of course, since the US government now owns considerable stakes in GM and Chrysler, this makes them not entirely disinterested third parties to whatever might cripple a competitor.

I think it is quite reasonable to hold an investigation to determine just what the actual defect rate is, what the defects are, when Toyota knew about them, and whether it responded appropriately. I think it is wrong to push the story of Toyota being too slow out to the media the way it has been. The media needs to know that there are safety issues when there are, and to know what vehicles are recalled and why, and ultimately to know what an investigation finds. They don’t need to hear the personal opinion of the Transportation Secretary about Toyota’s behavior before any investigation has been completed.

Of course, I’ve covered this in another question and everyone seemed to think I was defending Toyota wholesale and criticizing all the activities of the Transportation department.

In my state, it’s expected to hit 15% by the middle of the year.

I would not sacrifice quality and safety for some short-term unemployment.

It is not rumors.

Michigan, where I live is not “hovering”... it is at 14.6% unemployment as of December.

My city has an unemployment rate of 15.4%.

The unemployment rate in the US is 9.7%

These numbers sound bad. Guess what… it is worse. If I remember correctly, unemployment rate does not measure people who are no longer getting benefits, which is a lot of people. My wife is one of them. The only jobs in Michigan are in the medical field (that is why I have a job) and trucking. My wife worked in automotive manufacturing as a administrative assistant. Job openings for McDonalds here pull in hundreds of applicants, including people with high degrees.

From what I read, you can take any registered unemployment rate and add 5–7% to the total due to this.

Considering that Michigan has tanked because the auto industry tanked, nobody is safe. Nobody believed that the Big 3 would go down but they are.

Layoffs are continuing here as factory after factory closes.

I cannot even imagine how to prevent this sort of thing or stem the tide of deterioration now.

@Arisztid I am in Michigan too. We have been suffering with high unemployment for so long now, I sometimes wonder if it will ever get better. My husband works in a field that is still employing people too.I am thankful for that.
My Son, (an engineer) lost his job last April when “General Motors” became “Government Motors”. He just recently got a job for half the pay and no benefits, doing work that takes much less education and training than he has. He is thankful to have gotten this job.

where have you been

A fact is not a rumor. The US has been around 10% unemployment for a while.

I think the ”%” is a rumor.

Mmmmm…..do I need to give examples of “dry humor”? The question posed is so ridiculous, that you have only two choices. Either I am a clueless idiot or my humor is rather dry. More likely the latter. Lack of a sense of humor, however, is pandemic. And unfortunately quite prevalent on Fluther…..to my regret.

@wilma It is scary. The only way I managed to get a job was because I am in the medical profession. At that I am lucky because there are so many people fighting for all jobs. I am short houred so that they do not have to provide benefits… that is normal here.

@Arisztid Thanks…..answer is good re Michigan

@Snarp Didnt see your question on same subject…...liked it. Thanks

It’s been estimated that if you factor in all of the first-time job-seekers who can’t get work, the numbers are closer to 17%.

It is on the question asker to make their intention clear.

@plethora Most welcome.

The site I linked to is very interesting. It is not just MI or the entire USA. You can check the stats on each side (list of States on the left side) and break it down within each State by city or county (list at the bottom of State stats). It also breaks it down by industry.

You can pull up stats like I posted, and more, very easily.

I also consider that to be the closest to an accurate site as possible because it is a .gov site for the United States Department of Labor.

“Dry humor”? I’m thinking that perhaps you’re clueless about humor. Not that jokes can’t be made—about anything!—but where is the humor in any of your original question? I’m serious about asking, because I have an arid sense of humor and yet I can’t see a joke of any kind there.

Missouri unemployment hit 9.6% in December 2009. So, for now, I’d have to say that 10% is probably fairly accurate. Though, I don’t think that percentage includes first-time job-seekers nor does it include those who, for whatever reasons, have chosen not to file for unemployment benefits.