US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics: Unemployment Rate Drops to 8.8% ??????

National Unemployment Rate Announced at 8:30 a.m., April 1, 2011 by the BLS

The number of unemployed persons (13.5 million) and the unemployment rate (8.8
percent) changed little in March. The labor force also was little changed over
the month. Since November 2010, the jobless rate has declined by 1.0 percentage
point. (See table A-1.)

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

Is this an "April Fools" joke??????

Latest Numbers
Seasonally Adjusted

Unemployment Rate:
8.8% in Mar 2011 Historical Data

Change in Unemployment Level:
-131,000 in Mar 2011 Historical Data

Change in Employment Level:
+291,000 in Mar 2011 Historical Data

Change in Civilian Labor Force Level:
+160,000 in Mar 2011 Historical Data

Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate:
64.2% in Mar 2011 Historical Data

Employment-Population Ratio:
58.5% in Mar 2011 Historical Data
Annual Averages

Unemployment Rate:
9.6% for 2010 Historical Data

Unemployment Level:
14,825,000 for 2010

Figures don't lie, but liars figure.

I hope this doesn't derail any ground we've made with H.R.589. If this doesn't get passed soon and the numbers keep getting better?????? I feel we are doomed.

I just don't understand how it keeps going down but over all the states (for the most part) are not.

One explanation I read was the BLS used 117,000 in the birth/death model to arrive at the new UE rate. You can read the monthly adjustments here http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm. Also in January the BLS shrunk the population by 500K so the workforce shrunk which lowers the numbers. Plus when the BLS adds to the 'discouraged worker' column, unemployment goes down, not up. It's just a numbers game to make unemployment look like it is going down, when in fact if you look at the participation rate of the workforce is is pretty much stuck around 64% and the hourly work week is around 34 hours NOT 40, so IOW the UE rate is all smoke and mirrors.

"Statistics are like a drunk with a lamp post: used more for support than illumination.”

Guess we better get used to this. As long as they keep not counting "Discourage" workers or 99ers its going to continue to go down.

This is very similar to the tactics they use when reporting inflation. Just leave out energy and food!

When reporting unemployment, just leave out exhaustees and people working low-paying parttime jobs!

BLS Stats...ITS CALLED 'SHINING THE TURD'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!