Figuring Out the Real Jobless Rate

Now that “Jobless Count Skips Millions” (Dec. 29) has exposed the phoniness of the government’s unemployment statistics, how about assigning one of your people to look into the inflation statistics.

Maybe you can then explain how it is that in an economy in which housing and fuel prices, which make up about half of all of the expenses for most families, have been rising at 10% or more per annum, they keep telling us that the inflation rate is only 2%.

Sanford Thier

Venice

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Re the article in which analysts are scratching their heads about the 9.7% unemployment rate: No one considers the effect of America’s exploding population. With 2 million to 3 million people being added to our tally each year and with all our jobs being sent abroad, I wouldn’t be surprised if our current 9.7% unemployment rate means that America’s economy is still in great shape.

Who’s to say we won’t have 20% to 40% unemployment within 10 years, no matter how well the stock market is doing?

Michael Forrest

Huntington Beach

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Administration claims of a robust recovery notwithstanding, there are thousands who have not experienced the benefits of tax cuts but face the grim reality of their unemployment benefits running out.

When Congress returns, the first order of business should be the extension of unemployment benefits to those who have borne the brunt of company downsizing, consolidation and the departure of corporations to other countries to maximize profits.

The measure of this country’s strength is not the bounty of the affluent but the support of all workers who deserve decent wages and benefits.

Lenore

Navarro Dowling

Los Angeles