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by satvikpendem 5 hours ago
This doesn't count those who've given up on looking.
4 comments

If you want more detailed numbers, go look them up. BLS publishes them.

Unemployment is nearly at historical lows. But don't let data distract you from the same tired "everything is terrible" line that's every other post here.

Pretty massive difference between "being employed" and "being employed with a decent wage". Yeah, there's plenty of low-wage service industry or gig economy work available to take you out of the unemployment statistic -- there's a lot less employment available that enables you to live a decent lifestyle (i.e. live somewhere without 4 roommates or raise a family)
U-3 (unemployment rate) is 4.3% like he said. U-4 (U-3 plus discouraged workers, people who want and are available for work but stopped searching) is 4.6%. Practically the same.
Also doesn't count the underemployed.

Very common for people suddenly laid-off from salaried work to turn to part-time gig work and that immediately removes them from the 4.3% unemployed statistic.

That's U-6 (U-5 plus people involuntarily working part-time). It's 8.1%. Pretty low by historical standards, but not as low as it was 3 years ago (6.9%)
nor those who are driving Uber or doordashing