Homestead mailing list

[Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

At 4/13/2006, you wrote:
> Just like the unemployment rate.  "See how much lower it is than it was in .
> . ."  Yeah, because they changed the way they figure the rate.  *Real* rate
> is twice what they give!

What they use is the "Employee Participation Rate."  This is the the number 
of people considered employed or actively looking for work.  This does not 
count those discouraged, those who have not found something within thier 
skill set and interests, etc.

Another number that is manipulated beyond usefulness is the Consumer Price 
index or CPI.  It is next to useless for seeing the real rate of 
inflation.  Instead many economists use the difference between the Gross 
Domestic Product (GDP) and the M3 money supply.  The M3 is all the money in 
the us, cash, checking accounts, funds, loans, reinvestments, etc.  Well 
since it tells a tale the feds stopped reporting the M3 in March.

Don Bowen                          Awl Knotted Up
http://www.braingarage.com

My travel journal
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html