The headlines numbers are around 9% unemployment, but that doesn’t include underemployed. Include those and the rate doubles for the American job market. Gallup breaks down the numbers. In a nutshell, the picture is still ugly.
Whatever the government reports about unemployment on Friday, Gallup’s U.S. underemployment data for the end of 2010 show that nearly one in five Americans continue to be unemployed or employed part-time looking for full-time work.
Keep this in mind when watching the news. The superficial sound bites would have you believe things are getting better. They are not. Workers still can’t find full employment and many just stopped looking all together.
Photo Credit: Construction Worker by Peter Griffin