Unemployment up in Charlotte (Gaston, Ruth: transplants, mortgage, employment)

[mmoorecharlotte]

What can I say?


"Unemployment is up in Charlotte region in January"-March 19, 2010

Unemployment up in Charlotte region in January - Charlotte Business Journal:


"Unemployment in the Charlotte region rose to 12.8 percent in January from 12.1 percent in December, according to the N.C. Employment Security Commission. The state’s unemployment rate of 11.8 percent."

"The counties receiving the highest amount in unemployment benefits in January were Mecklenburg, $23.6 million; Wake, $18.8 million; Guilford, $11.7 million; Forsyth, $7.3 million; and Gaston, $6.2 million."


And those numbers are with the fuzzy math. They are much higher in reality.

[anifani821]

Yes, fuzzy math, cause we all know (or should know) that this city has a history (since 2000) of hiring tremendous numbers of temp employees and freelancers and contract workers - most of whom are NOT counted in those figures.

But if I tell folks that who have stars in their eyes about moving here, I am told I am unwelcoming and a pessimist, lol. Regardless, it is still the TRUTH.

[mmoorecharlotte]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Yes, fuzzy math, cause we all know (or should know) that this city has a history (since 2000) of hiring tremendous numbers of temp employees and freelancers and contract workers - most of whom are NOT counted in those figures.

But if I tell folks that who have stars in their eyes about moving here, I am told I am unwelcoming and a pessimist, lol. Regardless, it is still the TRUTH.

No Ani your not a pessimist, you just haven't been drinking the rose colored Kool Aid

[lumbollo]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Yes, fuzzy math, cause we all know (or should know) that this city has a history (since 2000) of hiring tremendous numbers of temp employees and freelancers and contract workers - most of whom are NOT counted in those figures.....

This isn't true. You are counted as employed, using the federal definition, if you get paid for 1 hour work/week or you don't get paid, but work 1 hour/week in a family owned business. I do believe the NC State Employment Commission gets their figures & definitions directly from the federal BLS.

Your definition is what is known as U6. i.e. basically anyone who wants to work a full time job but can't get one. They don't report U6 numbers now but the figures are there if you look for them. In this case Mecklenburg county is probably close to 17% - 18% unemployed.

[CLTKing]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Yes, fuzzy math, cause we all know (or should know) that this city has a history (since 2000) of hiring tremendous numbers of temp employees and freelancers and contract workers - most of whom are NOT counted in those figures.

But if I tell folks that who have stars in their eyes about moving here, I am told I am unwelcoming and a pessimist, lol. Regardless, it is still the TRUTH.

Indeed Ani, Charlotte has a long history of contractors and temps. The company where I work has almost half of the workforce as contractors, no benefits, no PTO, just a paycheck, which in today's economy, is good enough. I think over all, the Charlotte unemployment rate (counting underemployed, transplants without a job and those that no longer are receiving unemployment benefits) should hover around 18%.

[SunnyKayak]

expect to go higher teachers, people that work for the library, parks & rec

[mmoorecharlotte]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

expect to go higher teachers, people that work for the library, parks & rec

Very scary thought Sunny. Unless I am blind, I see no recovery anywhere on the horizen. There are no job creation plans going on. I wish I were wrong, but I just don't see anything to get excited about.

[CharlotteCharlotte]

Originally Posted by mmoorecharlotte

Very scary thought Sunny. Unless I am blind, I see no recovery anywhere on the horizen. There are no job creation plans going on. I wish I were wrong, but I just don't see anything to get excited about.

Just imagine people like me who are on the verge of UI benefits expiring, what are we suppose to do then? I sure hope they give more extensions. I wish my last company that I worked for could have alternated our work schedules by working us 6 months on and 6 months off soo then UI benefits would have not been a problem.

[SunnyKayak]

Originally Posted by mmoorecharlotte

Very scary thought Sunny. Unless I am blind, I see no recovery anywhere on the horizen. There are no job creation plans going on. I wish I were wrong, but I just don't see anything to get excited about.

This not true
within the last six months

500 JOBS coming soon

A Fortune 100 company coming to create hundreds of jobs!

Local companies added more than 15,500 jobs in Mecklenburg County last year

Mortgage services business Zenta adding 1,000 jobs in Charlotte

Siemens confirms boost in Jobs in Charlotte

Originally Posted by CharlotteCharlotte

Just imagine people like me who are on the verge of UI benefits expiring, what are we suppose to do then? I sure hope they give more extensions. I wish my last company that I worked for could have alternated our work schedules by working us 6 months on and 6 months off soo then UI benefits would have not been a problem.

I think this is a good thing.
People learn to live off the goverment and dont make effort to learn another trade where the jobs are. I see plenty of jobs in the
classifieds so you cant tell me their isnt work

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by lumbollo

This isn't true. You are counted as employed, using the federal definition, if you get paid for 1 hour work/week or you don't get paid, but work 1 hour/week in a family owned business. I do believe the NC State Employment Commission gets their figures & definitions directly from the federal BLS.

Your definition is what is known as U6. i.e. basically anyone who wants to work a full time job but can't get one. They don't report U6 numbers now but the figures are there if you look for them. In this case Mecklenburg county is probably close to 17% - 18% unemployed.

Yes, Lumbollo, we know how the gubment gathers the data, but what you just said: "this isn't true," is incorrect.

I was responding to the figures that MMOORE had cited, which do not include the very group you are referring to.

Freelancers don't report anything to anyone, except when they pay their taxes.

So what I wrote is correct. What you further explained is also correct, but you are referring to a data set that is not being used in the report that MMOORE cited. I also agree with you - the actual figure is most likely >17%.

We have discussed all this on the forum before and I believe we all agreed at that time that, unfortunately, the figures we are issued every month do not include many of our friends and neighbors who are out of work here in this region.