QandO: Unemployment relativism

March 22, 2004

Unemployment relativism
Posted by Jon Henke

We're all aware that both Republicans and Democrats are willing to spin facts when an election is at stake. It's neither suprising, nor unusual.....but it still needs to be addressed. Along those lines, I've come across what can only be described as astounding hypocrisy from the Democrats. Here's the entry from John Kerry's blog....

U.S. Senators Bob Graham and Bill Nelson and Congressman Kendrick Meek revealed the impact of George W. Bush’s broken promises and failed policies on Florida’s working families.
.....
"I wish the President would spend some more time in Central Florida and speak to people other than his most loyal supporters, because he needs to hear that his misguided policies are hurting people,” said Graham. “In greater Orlando alone, the unemployment rate has shot from 2.5 percent in December 2000 to 4.4 percent in January 2004. That's a loss of more than 40,000 jobs."

So, Florida is having unemployment problems, and the (failed) Bush economic policy is "hurting them". Got that? Good...now, let's look at the unemployment situation in Florida, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics....

2004 Jan - 4.3

4.3%!!! Here in reality, that's a great unemployment rate!

What's more, the Florida unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing since a December 2001 high of 5.9%.

Finally, let's compare this to the Florida unemployment rate of 1996.

1996 Mar - 5.1

Huh. It was significantly higher. Now, what were the Democrats saying in Florida circa 1996 about the Unemployment rate?

Clinton was nowhere near either mishap but they marred what has been a nearly perfectly scripted campaign swing through Florida. On Friday, he could boast of the lowest unemployment numbers in seven years and he could also comfort the American public in the aftermath of Hurricane Fran.[emphasis added]

Here's what Clinton touted at the 1996 Democratic Convention:

Look at what's happened. We have the lowest combined rates of unemployment, inflation, and home mortgages in 28 years.

Ok, here's a comparison of those combined statistics:
1996 -
Unemployment - 5.5%
Inflation - 2.65%
Mortgage rate - 6.84%

Combined: 14.99%

Now, let's take a look at today.
2004 -
Unemployment - 5.6%
Inflation - 1.69%
Mortgage rate - 5.10%

Combined: 12.39%

A combined rate of about 2.5 points lower, and where is the Democratic Party? Running against the same data they praised in 1996.

Shameless.

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Comments

Add more fuel to the fire: welfare rolls have been decreasing. How does that square with a "jobless recovery"?

Posted by: Steverino at March 22, 2004 11:03 AM

I read a message board somewhere where a guy was saying he hoped Bush would run on a platform that there is no unemployment problem because he would lose. Given most people's economic knowledge, I am starting to beleive it. To voters, it seems that this is the only important economic factor, and it is not even high.
About 10 years ago in college, One of my economic teachers mentioned that the US govt used to try to use govt spending to guide the unemployment level to Full Employment, which was 5%. We are at 5.6%.

Posted by: Frank Castle at March 22, 2004 11:27 PM