Workers Exit the Labor Force in Droves

Using data from the Obama administration’s website Recovery.gov and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this chart shows the month-over-month changes in the number of unemployed workers and members of the civilian labor force in tandem with the administration’s stimulus spending.  By using dual measures of employment instead of simply examining monthly changes in unemployment, this chart captures the magnitude of job loss in America more completely – not only have workers lost their jobs, many more workers have also stopped looking for new employment altogether.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the month of December alone, 85,000 jobs were lost.  In comparison, 661,000 people exited the labor force, or 7.7 times the amount of new unemployment. 

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