Unemployment very tightly correlated to U3

[General Zod]

"Unemployment", "recession", "BLS", "U3," and other unemployment measures. All the context is right there. You don't want "context," you want it spoon-fed to you. Get the fuck over your entitlement.

If someone posted a news article without a link you'd be jumping all over their ass. So kindly fuck off.

[Terralthra]

"Unemployment", "recession", "BLS", "U3," and other unemployment measures. All the context is right there. You don't want "context," you want it spoon-fed to you. Get the fuck over your entitlement.

If someone posted a news article without a link you'd be jumping all over their ass. So kindly fuck off.

1) No, I wouldn't.
2) This isn't a news article.

So, no.

[Phantasee]

Terralthra is right, Zod. Explanations of what U3 is aren't necessary, especially since it's been explained in previous unemployment threads.

Still Surly could have explained more. His OP reads more like a fragment of his thoughts than an explanation.

[Rye]

"Unemployment", "recession", "BLS", "U3," and other unemployment measures. All the context is right there. You don't want "context," you want it spoon-fed to you. Get the fuck over your entitlement.

"People on the dole" works just as well and doesn't require reading everything that has come before. This thread has people not knowing what the fuck is being talked about because not everyone is an avid viewer up to speed on Unemployment-thread continuity and terminology.

[J]

You might just as well write in Sanskrit and then act all smug that uneducated yokels can't understand you.

That's my day job, actually.

Just a little nitpick here: I would be surprised if Liberal Arts majors would be required to take mathematics courses. However, at least in Europe, most are required to take at least some statistics courses, which is not exactly the same thing. In fact, at least in biosciences and in medical schools most people do not take mathematics but statistics.

Well...that's true, but they all should. If I had to suffer through calculus, algebra and stats then everyone else should too.

[PeZook]

I actually agree, but for a different reason: everyone could use a course about how to interpret statistics and draw conclusions about wide-scale phenomena (ie. anecdotes and testimonials doesn't equal evidence).

Lots of people could benefit from at least a smidgen of basic statistical knowledge.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Just a little nitpick here: I would be surprised if Liberal Arts majors would be required to take mathematics courses. However, at least in Europe, most are required to take at least some statistics courses, which is not exactly the same thing. In fact, at least in biosciences and in medical schools most people do not take mathematics but statistics.

Well...that's true, but they all should. If I had to suffer through calculus, algebra and stats then everyone else should too.

I suppose you are joking despite the distinct lack of emoticons? I mean what good would calculus do for Liberal Art majors? Or even medical students? Basics of logic I would understand, and perhaps a little probability theory to base the statistics on, but in general statistics are more relevant to most than actual mathematics beyond basic algebra. I give you that very basic calculus might be somewhat useful, too, but in most European countries that is taught already in high school in addition to algebra and geometry.

[Phantasee]

Calculus is an optional course beyond third year math in high school. It's required for engineering students, and lots of kids going into the sciences and humanities take it, but anyone outside of engineering can take a similar level course in university as their math requirement.

Of course, technically, math beyond second year high school is optional, too. Assuming you're only interested in getting a high school diploma.

This applies to Alberta, YMMV across NA.

[Bakustra]

Calculus is an optional course beyond third year math in high school. It's required for engineering students, and lots of kids going into the sciences and humanities take it, but anyone outside of engineering can take a similar level course in university as their math requirement.

Of course, technically, math beyond second year high school is optional, too. Assuming you're only interested in getting a high school diploma.

This applies to Alberta, YMMV across NA.

Michigan high schools require a full four years of math, but calculus is always optional and generally requires extra effort by the student in the eighth year or tenth year to qualify for. Most students simply completed trigonometry in my high school, though we had separate AP Calculus and Calculus classes, which differed in pace and material covered (and the AP course had an associated test for college credit). There was also a remedial course that was mainly filled with burnouts and focused on arithmetic and elementary geometry. It's generally not required by colleges, though helpful to have. AP Calculus courses generally have more stringent requirements for test scores than other AP courses, mainly because entry-level calculus can vary widely.

EDIT: This applies to suburban/exurban Southeast Michigan.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Hey, J, if the definitions of the measures themselves were changed, why aren't there structure changes in the data? I just glanced through the graphs, and I didn't notice any discontinuities where that article claims there are.

That's a good question.
We know for a fact that the definition revision under Clinton happened (BLS Linky) yet as you noted there's no discontinuity in the dataset.

What they probably did was adjust the old data to meet current definitions so that comparisons could be made across years.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

This was sort of ridiculous. I've completed the full engineering maths sequence and all the maths on the planet can't tell me what "U3" means, which left me completely blank as if I knew no maths at all, because nobody ever refers to the standard unemployment metric that way except, apparently, deep in the statistics breakdown section of the BLS, and who's really spent an hour browsing that website?

[Terralthra]

This was sort of ridiculous. I've completed the full engineering maths sequence and all the maths on the planet can't tell me what "U3" means, which left me completely blank as if I knew no maths at all, because nobody ever refers to the standard unemployment metric that way except, apparently, deep in the statistics breakdown section of the BLS, and who's really spent an hour browsing that website?

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 7#p3398577

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 4#p3252944

https://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic ... 1#p3212071

Or, you know, http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=unemployment+U3

[Simon_Jester]

Look, prior use notwithstanding, an attempt to explain things should be made as clear as practical. For a thread title "U3" is useless because it means nothing to anyone who wasn't already big on the unemployment threads on this board or somewhere similar.

I mean, I could say "New discovery regarding B fields." It would be true. But it would be ridiculous for me to say that instead of "New discovery regarding magnetism." Which means the same thing but is a hell of a lot more accessible to the layman.

[Surlethe]

Jesus Christ, I explained twice after the first two complaints. Can you people not be bothered to read the first seven posts in the thread before you post to bitch?

[J]

Jesus Christ, I explained twice after the first two complaints. Can you people not be bothered to read the first seven posts in the thread before you post to bitch?

The first six posts, actually.

That's a good question.
We know for a fact that the definition revision under Clinton happened (BLS Linky) yet as you noted there's no discontinuity in the dataset.

What they probably did was adjust the old data to meet current definitions so that comparisons could be made across years.

That's what I'm thinking as well, however I'll have to track down some paper copies from the time periods in question to prove it. That may not be easy.

[Surlethe]

The internet has been dodgy lately but when I get home I'll try to post some graphs illustrating what I mean.

[Psychic_Sandwich]

Jesus Christ, I explained twice after the first two complaints. Can you people not be bothered to read the first seven posts in the thread before you post to bitch?

In all fairness, I don't think they're bitching at you. They're bitching at Terradyne for bitching at them for bitching at you for having a less clear OP than might have been ideal.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Yeah, Simon's right. I don't read every damned thread in N&P and I never will; I have a lot better things to do with my life.