Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbers

[thoughtone]

source: Think Progress

GOP Plans Congressional Investigation Into September Jobs Number Conspiracy


House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) told Fox News on Wednesday that he would hold hearings into the September job numbers, buying into a widely-discredited conspiracy theory that President Obama faked last month’s figure to improve his re-election chances.

After the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released an unexpectedly strong monthly jobs report last Friday — finding a dramatic drop in unemployment to 7.8 percent and revised the number of jobs added in July and August up from initial estimates, a group of conservatives led by former GE CEO Jack Welch — suggested that the numbers could have been fudged. Issa has now promised to look into the matter:

FOX HOST: We asked [Issa] … whether or not he was concerned about Friday’s jobs report and that big drop in the unemployment rate from 8.1% to 7.8%, which some economists have called fluky and as a result there have been questions about the Labor Department’s methodology in calculating the unemployment report. Now, Chairman Issa says he wants to have hearings on this, take a listen.

ISSA: The way it is being done with the constant revisions, significant revisions, tells us that it is not as exact science as it needs to be and there’s got to be a better way to get those numbers or don’t put them out if they’re going to be wrong by as much as half a point.

FOX HOST: Now, Greta [van Susteren] asked him when he wants to have these hearings…and he said, that, “we very much intend to work every day through November and December to get these kind of things done. We’re hoping that this is a good nonpartisan time,” he said.
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Watch it:




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BLS has flatly dismissed the allegation. “The data are not manipulated for political reasons. I’ve been involved in the process myself for almost three decades. There’s never been any political manipulation of the data, period,” Steve Haugen, an economist at the BLS, told CBSNews.com. BLS “does not at the moment have a single political appointee working in the entire agency,” he added.
Update


An Issa spokesperson told the Huffington Post that the Chairman has not yet scheduled the hearing. “While Chairman Issa, in response to a question asked yesterday, did state that he believes there are legitimate questions about the Department of Labor’s method for calculating unemployment, the Oversight Committee has not announced or decided to hold hearings on the September unemployment report…. At no point did he say he has made plans to convene a hearing on this subject.”

 

[thoughtone]

Re: Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbe

I figured Lamarr would be all in on this thread.

 

[HeathCliff]

Re: Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbe

 

[SPECTRE1]

Re: Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbe

It was funny when they said that career employees were involved and can't be influenced by politically appointed employees.

If they didn't goose the numbers and the president was elected, they could face unfavorable performance reviews or lose their ability to move up to higher positions. Another tactic is isolating the employee and giving them no work to encourage the person to leave or the employee could be physically attacked, mobbed, have snares put by their desk, or harassed daily. The government or the Gov Cartel is worse than the private sector when it comes to retribution.

I would like the BLS to publish their methodology so that others could calculate unemployment to ensure the number are accurate and consistent.

 

[thoughtone]

Re: Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbe

I would like the BLS to publish their methodology so that others could calculate unemployment to ensure the number are accurate and consistent.

<iframe src="http://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/" width=800 height=1000></iframe>

 

[HeathCliff]

Re: Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbe

It was funny when they said that career employees were involved and can't be influenced by politically appointed employees.

If they didn't goose the numbers and the president was elected, they could face unfavorable performance reviews or lose their ability to move up to higher positions. Another tactic is isolating the employee and giving them no work to encourage the person to leave or the employee could be physically attacked, mobbed, have snares put by their desk, or harassed daily. The government or the Gov Cartel is worse than the private sector when it comes to retribution.

I would like the BLS to publish their methodology so that others could calculate unemployment to ensure the number are accurate and consistent.

When you say others, do you mean yourself? Well, whenever you finish your calculations be sure to fill the rest of us in with your assessments.

 

[SPECTRE1]

Re: Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbe

When you say others, do you mean yourself? Well, whenever you finish your calculations be sure to fill the rest of us in with your assessments.

I reviewed the methodology and found that the BLS uses statistically sampling only, which is flawed.

The BLS needs to go out every 5 years or during the census and inquire about unemployment to verify the accuracy of the statistical sampling. I know they report number of jobs added but it is probably a statistical method.

Really what you want to have is the number of available jobs per year and the increase/decrease.

The government had employers report 150 million jobs, than after 4 years that number increased to 175 million. This information should be used, rather than some highly educated guess on unemployment. A president should be judged on increasing this number. It will be more accurate since it won't be sampled.

 

[thoughtone]

Re: Clown Prince Darrell Issa Plans Congressional Investigation Into Sept. Jobs Numbe

I reviewed the methodology and found that the BLS uses statistically sampling only, which is flawed.

The BLS needs to go out every 5 years or during the census and inquire about unemployment to verify the accuracy of the statistical sampling. I know they report number of jobs added but it is probably a statistical method.

Really what you want to have is the number of available jobs per year and the increase/decrease.

The government had employers report 150 million jobs, than after 4 years that number increased to 175 million. This information should be used, rather than some highly educated guess on unemployment. A president should be judged on increasing this number. It will be more accurate since it won't be sampled.

With your superior way of performing metrics. You should apply to the BLS. Those G15 grade positions which you qualify for pay $100,000/yr!