OECD says ET was right about UK unemployment | 30 comments (30 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

USA (none / 0)

It's also very strange how high the USA is on labor market "inactivity" - higher than OECD averages in almost every category.

More disguised unemployment? Without the generous European benefits, of course.

by TGeraghty on Sun Oct 23rd, 2005 at 07:56:14 PM EST

Re: USA (none / 0)

TG, I was looking for that diary with that data and graphs, but couldn't find it. I was trying to recall how the UK compared to the overall averages. Do you know where it's available? thanks.

by wchurchill on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 01:04:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: USA (none / 0)

Which diary? And which data, graphs, and averages are you referring to?

by TGeraghty on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 02:18:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: USA (none / 0)

your comment " how high the USA is on labor market "inactivity" - higher than OECD averages in almost every category." reminded me of the charts/data I was looking for. I thought based on your wording we were thinking along the same vein. I think the data compares the working population to either total population, or working age population. It's a different way of looking at this, stripping away all of the different buckets countries sometimes put the unemployed in for statistical purposes. Our previous conversations had focused on the group of people that had just given up looking for jobs.

I should be able to find this myself, but I have not been successful.

by wchurchill on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 01:05:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's beginning to look like (none / 0)

"for statistical purposes" actually means "for obfuscation purposes".

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 01:40:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It's beginning to look like (none / 0)

Well, you have to try and work out why people aren't working: in an economy that was doing well and lots of people get rich, people might stop working earlier because they have enough to be comfortable on.

Being inactive isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Here's the real point: comparing unemployment rates across economies is at best difficult, at worst wilful bullshit.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 03:23:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: USA (none / 0)

Yes, but without specialist knowledge of what the statistics are based on, I prefer (other than an aside) not to draw any conclusions. Since it's the OECD, I imagine they're pretty much comparing apples to apples, but, as you say, there are countries with benefit systems and countries without.

It is intriguing, though, to note that some countries generally cited as examples of economic "success" have above-average numbers of people inactive for reasons of sickness and disability, while countries currently cited as basket cases (France and Germany yet again) have far fewer.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 02:09:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: USA (4.00 / 2)

Since it's the OECD, I imagine they're pretty much comparing apples to apples, but, as you say, there are countries with benefit systems and countries without.

Or vaguely round fruit with other vaguely round fruit, depending on national definitions of fruit.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 04:24:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Ketchup (none / 0)

is a red round fruit, isn't it?

Oh no, wait, it's a vegetable... But damn useful when you have statistics about round fruity stuff...

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 05:25:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Inactivity (none / 0)

TG, what in fact is your take on this, on Sweden, in particular? (Since I see this excellent comment of yours on Sweden's active labour market policy.)

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 at 11:56:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

OECD says ET was right about UK unemployment | 30 comments (30 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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