Job growth numbers deceptive

According to the U.S. Labor Department official unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in September, payrolls rose by 263,000 as job market stayed strong.

However it is important to put the job numbers into proper perspective. If you work as little as one hour a week, even selling trinkets on eBay, you are considered employed. If you held three part-time jobs, these count as three jobs. The potential for double-counting jobs is large. Furthermore more Americans than ever hold two fulltime jobs, amounting to more than 70 hours of work a week. In June of 2022, 426,000 people were working two full-time positions, compared to 308,000 in February 2020, according to federal labor data.

With an election looming on the horizon, voters need more than ever to be aware of not only consumer inflation but also optimistic inflation of statistics that don’t tell the whole story.

William Yerger

Lower Saucon Township