Pepsi must be really short of workers around here

[Bobby Henderson]

We used to hear a lot about how people were dropping out of the workforce (in other words: Stopping looking for jobs). So how is that affecting the unemployment figures? Are these lower figures just due to the fact that fewer people are out looking for work?

I think it's a combination of two things. Businesses are hiring. Yet a significant number of people have dropped out of the work force (or were forced out by various conditions). The government's unemployment numbers do not count people who have completely dropped out of the work force and/or are long term unemployed. I think they only count people who have lost jobs within the past 40 weeks.

[James Wyrembelski]

The "official" unemployment data does not include those who have stopped looking for work for whatever reason.

Check the U5 or U6 unemployment data which include those numbers. Unemployment hovers more around 4-7% in that case at the current time depending on which calculation you're looking at.

[Mike Blakesley]

The government's unemployment numbers do not count people who have completely dropped out of the work force and/or are long term unemployed. I think they only count people who have lost jobs within the past 40 weeks.

So, in essence, the "official" number is useless and incorrect. Sounds like a typical government project.

[Leo Enticknap]

Not entirely. The point of the unemployment statistic is to measure the scale of a problem, i.e. people who need work but can't find it. People who are able to survive economically without working (completely dropped out of the workforce, below adult age, or retired) are not part of that problem, and so are not captured by the statistic. Interestingly, if you do include absolutely everyone, you end up with quite a shocking figure: the last I read, something like only a third of the total population of most developed countries work a full time job.

Dropping you out of the statistic after 40 weeks if you still need work and are actively looking for it does undermine it, though, IMHO.

[Bobby Henderson]

So, in essence, the "official" number is useless and incorrect. Sounds like a typical government project.

I guess the idea is track the number of people who eligible to draw unemployment benefits. Those benefits usually have a maximum of 40 weeks, unless the government extends the deadline.

Interestingly, if you do include absolutely everyone, you end up with quite a shocking figure: the last I read, something like only a third of the total population of most developed countries work a full time job.

Yeah, the actual picture of employment is much more complicated. The figures reported in the news rarely ever mention how many people are under-employed, either working full time in jobs with minimal pay and/or working jobs that don't provide enough hours to generate a live-able paycheck. There is a significant shadow economy where people are doing work on a cash-basis, off the books. They're doing everything from small "side hustles" to making their entire living that way. Obviously criminal enterprises are big on that. But plenty of "legit" businesses pay people off the books too.

Several key industries in this country have big parts of their business model hinged on using illegal migrant labor and doing creative accounting work to make everything look okay. I used to have a fairly hard-line stance against illegal immigration. I still don't like it, but if we deported every illegal migrant in the US all at once it would create painful shockwaves for the general public. Visiting the meat and produce aisles in grocery stores would suddenly be very depressing. Food prices are insane enough as it is right now. Something like a steak would get a lot more expensive if every worker in a slaughter house was American-born, working on the books and the facility was fully compliant with all the OSHA and EPA regulations.

I get annoyed by politicians and media people talking about "jobs" as if a "job" is a generic thing. We all know there is a wide spectrum between a great job and a really terrible job. I feel bad for people stuck in part time gigs trying to fit second jobs into their schedules. I was having a couple beers with one of my friends at a local hotel bar/restaurant. He's the GM at a local restaurant. He was chatting with a server there, trying to get her to take a second job bartending at his place. The trick was trying to figure out something that would fit with her existing schedule. Lots of employers won't do that. They'll schedule part time people on shifting schedules without any regard to them having a second job. And then they wonder why they can't get people to fill open job positions, "nobody wants to work." Bullshit.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

They are short. They have ads posted all over Nashville job and regular newspapers. But there are none from Coca Cola. I guess Coke is either a better place to work or they pay more, or both.

Edit: I just found one for Coke. They are looking to hire a mechanic.