Reply #7: Because there is no such thing as a "labor market"

[RaleighNCDUer]

at least since slavery was outlawed. There is just PEOPLE who need JOBS.

The claim that someone working 7 hours a week is "employed" is empirical nonsense - NOBODY can live on the income of 7 hours a week.

The claim that the guy who has given up and has returned to a state of dependency living in his mother's basement, doing odd jobs around to house to be useful is NOT unemployed is obvious bullshit.

The government numbers, the U-3 description, are designed to make things look better than the reality. It says 7 million unemployed, when there are 15 million who have no jobs, or only have jobs that do not meet basic survival standards.

The ONLY real measure of unemployment should be the number of JOBS it would take to reach a practical 'full' employment of 1 to 1.5% unemployment, balanced against the number of PEOPLE available to fill them. You know, like we had in the 60s. Before the republican began massaging the numbers to hide what their policies were doing to the economy.

Living in Mom's basement is NOT a lifestyle choice. It is the last option open before resorting to crime.