Topic: Shadowstats

The Federal Reserve's strategy to raise interest rates is criticized as an intentional effort to increase unemployment to cool the economy. While official US unemployment numbers remain low, alternative data from ShadowStats suggests a real unemployment rate of 24.5% and inflation closer to 15%. The discrepancy is attributed to the government's exclusion of discouraged workers from official labor statistics.

The hosts discuss the withdrawal of Stephen Moore and Herman Cain from consideration for the Federal Reserve Board. They suggest Moore's nomination failed because he disagreed with President Trump's desire for interest rate cuts. They play a clip from John Williams of ShadowStats, who argues that the Fed should lower rates to prevent a recession.

President Trump's hour-long speech was compared to historical addresses by Reagan and Clinton regarding duration and audience reception. CBS News fact-checked Trump's claim that 94 million Americans are out of the labor force, noting that the figure includes students, retirees, and the disabled. Democratic leaders, including Nancy Pelosi, were observed remaining seated during segments of the speech focused on job creation.

The hosts discuss the media's sudden interest in the accuracy of unemployment numbers under the Trump administration. They contrast this with the "rosy" numbers reported during the Obama years. They reference Ross Perot's use of charts to explain complex economics and cite John Williams of ShadowStats, who estimates the real unemployment rate is closer to 23-24%.

The official U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 4.7%, but critics point out this was accompanied by a net loss of jobs and a decrease in labor participation. Rick Santelli of CNBC and the website ShadowStats.com argue that the real unemployment rate, when calculated using 1930s-era metrics, remains flat at approximately 22.5%. The Federal Reserve's reliance on these "public relations" numbers for fiscal policy is questioned.

In his New Hampshire victory speech, Donald Trump challenges official government jobs data, claiming the real unemployment rate could be as high as 42%. The discussion references ShadowStats and economist John Williams, who argues that the labor participation rate is often omitted to make economic figures appear more favorable.

The hosts critique the official U.S. unemployment rate of 5.7%, referencing an article by Gallup CEO Jim Clifton titled "The Big Lie." Clifton argues the official figure is misleading because it excludes millions of "discouraged workers" who have stopped looking for jobs. The hosts compare the official data to ShadowStats, which estimates real unemployment at 23.5%, and note the Gallup CEO's televised "paranoia" about disappearing for speaking out.

A debate occurred regarding the qualifications of Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, with the host arguing that Kerry is incompetent. The discussion also touched on the U.S. economy, where the host used ShadowStats data to dispute official unemployment figures, much to the annoyance of the pro-administration guests.

The discrepancy between official government unemployment figures (7.5%) and ShadowStats data is discussed. The hosts argue that the government "cooks the books" to create positive public sentiment, despite a high number of people dropping out of the labor force.

President Obama's new budget proposal includes changing the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to a "chained CPI" model. This shift effectively reduces benefits by assuming consumers will switch to cheaper goods, such as replacing steak with cat food, as prices rise. Critics point to ShadowStats.com to show how government inflation reporting has diverged from reality since the Clinton administration.

An analysis of ShadowStats data suggests that the U.S. government has been systematically underreporting inflation and unemployment since 1984. While official figures claim low inflation, alternative calculations based on pre-1980 methodologies place it at approximately 10%. The divergence in data is presented as a deliberate effort to mask the true state of the economy.

John C. Dvorak deconstructs the latest U.S. employment figures, which dropped to 7.8%. He references Jack Welch's "crackpot" tweet questioning the validity of the data. Using John Williams' Shadow Government Statistics, Dvorak argues that the true unemployment rate, when calculated using Depression-era methods, is closer to 24%.

The discrepancy between official U3 unemployment figures and the ShadowStats (SGS) alternative rate is examined. While government data suggests a recovery, the SGS metric, which includes discouraged workers who have left the labor force, indicates a real unemployment rate of approximately 23%.

Congressman Ron Paul appeared on CNN with Piers Morgan to discuss the discrepancy between official jobless figures and economic reality. Paul argues that the 8.5% unemployment rate is "cooked" because it ignores 1.2 million people who dropped out of the workforce, suggesting a true rate closer to 11%. Reference is made to ShadowStats, which places the figure near 25% when including discouraged workers.

President Obama attributed the slow economic recovery to "headwinds" such as the European debt crisis, the earthquake in Japan, and high gas prices caused by the Arab Spring. While the official government unemployment rate shows a slight decrease, data from ShadowStats.com suggests the real unemployment rate is closer to 25%. The discrepancy is attributed to changes in how the government calculates labor statistics compared to historical methods.

Using data from ShadowStats, the hosts discuss the real unemployment rate of 22.5%. They share anecdotes from the South about the devastating impact of the housing bust on construction workers and homeowners.

The Detroit Free Press reportedly suppressed a negative review of the Chrysler 200 due to advertiser pressure, illustrating the lack of independence in mainstream media. Economic data from ShadowStats suggests the true U.S. unemployment rate is 22.5%, significantly higher than the official government figure of 9%. The hosts characterize the current economic state as a depression rather than a recession.