[geeks] Socialized medicine [was Re: nVidia 8800GT for Apple Mac Pro]

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

On Mon, 26 May 2008, Phil Stracchino wrote:

>> Unemployment rates are at 4.5-5% here right now, using the only measure 
>> available.
>
> Except that it's not the only measure available.  The "official"
> unemployment rate includes only one category:  People who lost their
> jobs and are receiving unemployment benefits or government-provided
> retraining.  If your unemployment benefits have run out, you're no
> longer considered unemployed.

That's why it's the unemployment -rate-, not the unemployment
percentage.  It is, at best, a measure of how quickly things are going
to hell, now how far along the way they already are.  It's a
sliding-window, if you will.  If people are regaining their jobs more
quickly, they're spending less time in that window and lowering the
number.  If people aren't regaining their jobs at all, they ride out and
give the full effect.

The rate of unemployment and the overall unemployment are two very
useful but quite different numbers.

-- 
Jonathan Patschke | "There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Elgin, TX         |                                   --Mahatma Gandhi
USA               |