4.04.2006

Six and Half Percent Unemployment

The real unemployment rate, if they were counting everybody. And nobody's counting the underemployed.

6 comments:

The Lazy Iguana said...

Underemployment sucks. I am slightly underemployed now. Not too bad, but I still think I should be getting paid closer to the median income for where I live.

This is one of the reasons I hope that the boss was not full of crap when he brought up the possibility of a job out west making close to three times what I make now!

But then again, I like what I do now. It is a good job. Most importantly, I like going to work. The job does not have me in a bad mood - ever. I arrive happy, I leave happy, and on my days off I am always willing to get called up for some OT.

If the job hookup in Vegas works out, Ill pack up and bail. I have a pickup truck, so I can haul most of the stuff I would need right away - like my 200 disk CD changer, tuner/amp, speakers, TV, satellite TV thingie, the television, all my clothes, Max the lizard and maybe some cats. The rest of my crap I can either sell, donate to charity, or box it up and have it shipped out west.

However if it does not pan out - I still have my current job. Better to be underemployed than jobless!

Anonymous said...

What do you mean, by underemployed? I seek clarification...

The Lazy Iguana said...

Underemployed is when you have a masters degree in rocket science, but have to work as a greeter in Wal-Mart for $6/hour part time with no benefits because the economy sucks and NASA's budget was slashed to the bone so the military can afford to drop more bombs on Iraq.

Just as an example. I work for Miami-Dade County. I have a 4 year degree in business administration. I currently make about $30,000 a year base pay. If I get a lot of overtime I will make more. This is only about $15,000 under the median income for Dade County. Therefore, I consider myself to be underemployed.

Anonymous said...

Ah. Ok. That is not right...if there are no inputs for men to live up to their ability. This comes from the government assuming more power than it should

Forgive my ignorance, but how is the government not counting everybody that is unemployed?

Econo-Girl said...

Iggy, what a great opportunity! And then you can tell us about the underbelly of seedy tourism in L.V.

Econo-Girl said...

The governmetn is not counting people who have been unemployed for more than 18 months, with the assumption that they will have just stopped looking for work.

How is it that no one is hitting hard on the idea of stealth unemployment?