posted 10 July 2001 11:27 AM
The help wanted index fell 1.8 percent in June, Statistics Canada Report on CBC.ca dated July 5. It's been on downward trend since Nov. 2000. BC's decrease was 3.1 percent, a decline for the ninth consecutive month.
This is supposed to be an indicator of labour demand. Why, then, do they not include with this statistic the number of businesses that have closed down during the same period? I see this as another falsified statistic to prove the country's economic health while ignoring layoffs, business closings, etc. It is similar to the unemployment statistics that don't take into account the people not working who are not on EI. Anyone else agree?
posted 10 July 2001 01:42 PM
I agree. Come to think of it I can't recall ever seeing the number of business bankruptcies at any time in the news - which would be the corporate indicator of economic health.
From: You shall not side with the great against the powerless. | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged
rasmus
malcontent
Babbler # 621
posted 10 July 2001 01:50 PM
It's well known that the economic statistics are jigged to give a positive spin on the news because much of the strength of the economy depends on consumer confidence. Back in the spring when American employers who answered the employment survey were reporting job losses, the Department of Labour was using a model that assumed all those who hadn't answered were still creating jobs, thereby grossly underestimating unemployment even by their own skewed standards.
There are lots of examples of this, if I can think of more I'll mention them.
From: Fortune favours the bold | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged
DrConway
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 490
posted 10 July 2001 02:04 PM
Down in the United States, if you back in "discouraged" workers and other such statistical paraphernalia, the true unemployment rate in the USA rises a couple percentage points.
I've also heard if you back in the entire prison population in the USA, the unemployment rate would rise another percentage point. (I did some quick math, and this checks out, incidentally)
From: You shall not side with the great against the powerless. | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged
Email this thread to someone!
posted 10 July 2001 11:27 AM
