Jay Inslee is trying to kick his fundraising machine into high gear in advance of a dinner President Barack Obama agreed to in Seattle on June 24th. A recent email pushing tickets to the dinner stated the following:
“Under President Obama’s leadership, our nation’s progress has been staggering. We’ve turned our economy around … President Obama’s remarkable record of accomplishments will not soon be forgotten.”
Unfortunately for Inslee’s sales pitch, he sent out the email to supporters on Friday, June 3 — the same day the Obama administration released its dismal jobs report for May employment. The Wall Street Journal:
“President Obama’s election-year campaign to make Americans feel great about the economy again was rudely interrupted Friday by the reality of the job market. The economy created a dismal 38,000 net new jobs in May, the worst monthly performance since 2010…
“The unemployment rate has been falling—it fell again in May to 4.7%—but maybe that’s because millions of people have left the job market in frustration.
“The jobless rate declined largely because the labor force fell by some 458,000 in May. As for those still in the labor force, the number working part-time who would prefer to have full-time work but can’t find it increased by 468,000.
“All of this reduced the labor participation rate back down to 62.6%, compared to 63% two months ago. This is the soft underbelly of the labor market and helps explain why so many Americans aren’t buying the line that this expansion is fabulous.”
Yet, on the same day as the release of such a disastrous jobs report, Inslee pushes an alternate reality in which Obama “turned our economy around.”
In a bizarre choice of words, Inslee claims progress has been “staggering.” We agree — the economy is staggering indeed, but that’s not a reason to support Inslee… or Obama.
tensor says
“The unemployment rate has been falling—it fell again in May to 4.7%—but maybe that’s because millions of people have left the job market in frustration.“
Or maybe the unemployment rate fell again because, you know, more people have jobs.
The prime “frustration” being felt here is that of hard-right, hyper-partisans being forced to admit the unemployment rate just keeps falling when a Democrat is President.
Charlie Beatty says
Have some more of that leaded Kool-aid, tensor.
Clay Fitzgerald says
Tensie lives in la-la land with the rainbows, unicorns and pink lemonade.
Clay Fitzgerald says
You don’t read and comprehend very well; the jobless rate fell because there are fewer people in the work force and of those that are still in the work force and actually have jobs, such as they are, only work part time when they’d prefer to be employed full time. When the unemployment rate falls, doesn’t mean more people are working. With a recovery from the recession the weakest since the great depression, 1% or less annually, it means that there are very few jobs being created that contribute to the creation of real wealth, despite what the moronic, liberal left are trying to sell the gullible, low info voters.
Clary Brazier says
another reason unemployment rates are “down, is that unemployment benefits run out. so when these people get “off” unemployment, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are “employed”.
Clay Fitzgerald says
I know that, you should be addressing this comment to tensie.
Pat says
By every traditional economic measure, our economy is in the poorest shape it has been in over 60 years. The one biggest telling factor: according to the U.S Dept. of Labor, the labor participation rate is at an all time low and continuing to decrease. That’s the economic measure that shows how many people, as a percentage of the entire population, have jobs. Do you know why unemployment went down in the last report? 546,000 dropped off of the unemployment roles across the country and only 38000 new jobs were created. Over the last 6.5 years, over 12 mil people have left the labor force. Nothing to do with right, hard-right partisans. Those are the facts as reported by President Obama’s own Dept. of Labor. But wait Tensor, you, the ultimate shill: you don’t want to be bothered by facts or reality. Just go on being a hyper partisan dilettante and a progressive shill that you are. It’s entertaining and laughable the spin you put on issues.
tensor says
if the life expectancy in the United States was forty years, and every last one of us worked constantly until he or she died, we’d have a labor force participation rate of 100%. Feel the greatness!
Here are a few demographic trends which have prevented us from reaching that happy state of affairs:
– Americans living longer;
– Americans retiring earlier;
– More younger workers spending more time getting more education.
Please, keep on telling us how much you deplore those trends. (Especially the last one.)
Debi Wells says
Personally I retired early because, due to Obamacare I lost my health insurance. Are younger workers getting better jobs with all that education? Not that I have seen
Biff says
“Or maybe the unemployment rate fell again because, you know, more people have jobs”
If more people have jobs then it would be reflected in the labor force participation, you know the number that is at its lowest in the last 40 years, when the peanut guy was president.
The prime “frustration” being felt here is that of hyper-partisan leftists being forced to admit the unemployment rate is rigged to make a Democrat President look good but has no basis in reality.
tensor says
… you know the number …
You mean the one you didn’t provide?
Biff says
http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet
May 2016 – 62.6% Labor Force Participation Rate.
Before the disaster that is the current administration, you have to go all the way back to Oct. 1977 to find a lower rate.
So, no, the unemployment rate didn’t fall again because, you know, more people have jobs. It fell again because, you know, it’s a fake number and least 2 of you (you and Gov. Carbon Pollution) are stupid enough to have bought the lie hook, line and sinker.
tensor says
Look, I get it: unemployment is less than five per cent and falling, which is good news for our country, but bad news for your Party; your chances of dislodging our incumbent governor are really, really small. While you always choose Party over country — because that’s just the type of guy you are, comrade! — you should really avoid piling onto the crazy from the WSJ’s editorial page:
… t’s a fake number …
Um, no, we’ve used that figure for decades, without a peep of protest from you, until it turned out to be too low (!) for your liking.
Biff says
Look, you don’t get it. If more people are working and it’s getting better every month, Why is the Labor Force Participation Rate at an almost 40 year low? I posted a link to 4 decades of LFPR stats. Look it up. Logic says if less people are truly unemployed, the LFPR would be higher. Sorry to confuse you with facts and logic. Maybe because the unemployment rate is twisted and manipulated to seem like it’s better than it is and the gullible eat it up.The LFPR can’t be. There’s only 2 criteria: Are you 16+? Do you have a job?
So yes, t’s(sic) a fake number.
“Um, no, we’ve used that figure for decades, without a peep of protest from you”
How do know there hasn’t been “a peep of protest” from me? Have we had deep discussions about my opinion on the reality of the unemployment rate over the decades? That’s probably how you know when the fake number is too low (!) for my liking.
Nice partisan rant there, too. The cold sweat stench of desperation is getting strong and it’s only June. Better pace yourself. You don’t want to flame out long before election day.
Clay Fitzgerald says
“Under President Obama’s leadership, our nation’s progress has been staggering. We’ve turned our economy around… ” Yeah, it’s been staggering, like a drunken sailor on a eight year toot.