Are new graduates factored into unemployment numbers?

[dansolo]

Whenever they give statistics for unemployment numbers, it always seems to be "new unemployment claims". Wouldn't that completely ignore new graduates who are now looking for work, because they wouldn't even be eligible to file for unemployment?

[jtb33]

1. As far as I know...

"New graduates" are not considered "unemployed".

[damnraddem]

7. Unless they try to get a job.

The big problem is that those who give up on the job market are dropped from unemployment numbers.

[newyawker99]

9. Hi jtb33!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[stevedeshazer]

2. Correct

The count is based on the number of workers receiving unemployment benefits.

[robcon]

17. That's totally false.

The unemployment figure is the total number of people who are looking for work, but are not employed. Those who qualify for unemployment insurance only account for about half the unemployed. The others are new workers, young workers, people who don't qualify for unemployment or don't apply for it. All of them are counted....

From BLS definition:

Unemployed persons
Persons 16 years and over who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.

edit spelling

[terryg11]

18. but when administrations talk about unemployment

they usually only cite those seeking benefits.

[GR]

3. More And More People Are Not Eligible For Unemployment...

Either because their 6 months has run out or because they haven't worked at their jobs long enough to be eligible. As people are layed off multiple times, their ability to draw unemployment becomes nil. New graduates are not eligible because they need to have worked for some time to become eligible...I think 6 months.

Also, a little know fact, is that the prison population, several million, are not counted as unemployed. Bush's solution to unemployment, put more people in prison....

[BOSSHOG]

4. Interesting connection

Per the gop friendly U. S. News and World Report (15 Mar 2004)

More people in this country this year will end up bankrupt than will graduate from College.

A fact any CEO would be proud of. Vote bush if you want your country to continue on its path to hell.

[sangh0]

5. Only if they are looking for work

The unemployment #'s come from two sources:

1) A telephone survey that asks the callee if they are employed, and if not whether they have been looking for a job in the recent past. If they are unemployed and looking for a job, then they are counted as unemployed

2) A calculation based on Bureau of Labor stats like unemployment claims, employment (as reported by employers when paying SS, etc for their employees), etc.

[Drifter]

6. But I think they are ...

sort of.

In order to maintain the same employment rate, we still need to create jobs each month. I think take into account inflation, population growth etc.

Unfortunately, AWOL is not creating enough to even maintain the same number of jobs. If this were a boat, it would be sinking.

I have heard a number of times in news reports about how X numbers of jobs need to be created before they are considered creating jobs.

The bottom line, is that AWOL is promising 2.3 million jobs this year (250,000 per month). This means that we need to create 250,000 pre month on top of the figures to hold the line (say 50,000). Of course we not even hitting this minimum "keep our heads above water" figures. Which means we are losing jobs.

Cheers
Drifter

[amazona]

8. don't know but...

...I knew lots of people in the 1980s (Reagan era) who never found a job that used their qualifications (or any college qualifications) and I'm pretty sure they weren't included in the unemployment stats since they never qualified for any unemployment. Most were single men so didn't qualify for welfare either -- the choice was pretty much crime or occasional part-time/self-employed work/living with mom.

Are graduates having a hard time in this economy? To be honest, my impression was that business was using this bad business climate as a great excuse to clear out older workers who put more drain on their benefits/health insurance program and replace them with younger workers, who will get to work a year or five before they in turn are replaced. More and more, businesses are looking for ways to get over 40s/people with families off the payroll and health insurance roll.

[Walt Starr]

10. Never been employeds cannot be considered as unemployed

and they have never appeared in the statistics.

People who've been unemployed so long their unemployment benefits have run out are also not in the statistics. When you take all of the loopholes into account, the current unemployment numbers are woefully underestimated.

[TahitiNut]

14. Unh-unh... (see below)

[SoCalDem]

11. If you have not BEEN employed, you cannot be UNemployed

and lots of part time jobs are probably not even included.. The turn over rate in lots of jobs is such that you are not even eligible for unemployment if you get laid-off .. Most people in high turn over jobs, just quit and move to the next one..never building up enough time on the job to even qualify..

or the unemployment form a low paying job, is so little that they HAVE to find something-anything , and they never even apply..

[TahitiNut]

15. Unh-unh... (see below)

[gasperc]

12. can't apply for benefits but CAN use the office to look

when I graduated in '90, I went to the local unemployment office to help find a job, so I was counted as unemployed and they sent me a letter after a weeks to see if I got a job. When I got one, I let them know. As a graduate of Bachelor of Science IN ENGINEERING I TOOK A $9/HOUR TECHINICIAN JOB. IT SUCKED. IT TOOK OVER A YEAR TO GET AN ASSOCIATE ENGINEER JOB. I WALKED DOOR TO DOOR FOR CLINTON IN '92 UP TO THE DAY OF THE ELECTION. I PLAN TO DO THE SAME AGAIN THIS YEAR.

[TahitiNut]

13. (Repeated) Myth alert!

"New unemployment claims" and reported measures of "unemployment" are NOT statistically related. Whether or not a person is collecting (or has collected) unemployment benefits has virtually NOTHING to do with the reported measures of unemployment. (Please read and reread this.)

Anyone with a connection to the internet can access the information on how unemployment is measured. Simply read about it on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' website.

Where do the statistics come from?

Because unemployment insurance records, which many people think are the source of total unemployment data, relate only to persons who have applied for such benefits, and since it is impractical to actually count every unemployed person each month, the Government conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country. The CPS has been conducted in the United States every month since 1940 when it began as a Work Projects Administration project. It has been expanded and modified several times since then. As explained later, the CPS estimates, beginning in 1994, reflect the results of a major redesign of the survey.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_faq.htm#Ques2


Who is counted as unemployed?

Persons are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_faq.htm#Ques5

Thus, to answer the specifc question: Yes! A new graduate looking for work would be counted as "unemployed."

Can we please try harder to get this clear? :crazy:

[Nikia]

19. The unemployed have a higher rate of no telephone

When you are running out of money, the phone may be one of the first things to go especially with the person doesn't like being harassed by bill collectors. Also if the new graduate is living with his/her parents, they might not be counted.

[Columbia]

21. Thanks for the correction, Tahitinut

Let's not propagate this myth any further. Mis-statement of facts and figures and vague rumor-mongering does not advance our cause whatsover. Don't stoop to that level.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. Unfortunately, anyone who works even one hour a week

is considered "employed."

[Zinfandel]

20. New Graduates, self-employed out of work, people who given up

looking for working and are no longer resistering, once retired people who need to get back to work because of the economy.

None of them are being counted. It they were unemployment offical numbers would be 10% or over.