Unemployment…

With Abbott and Costello…

abbott-and-costello-as-hobos

COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America .
ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It’s 5.6%.
COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?
ABBOTT: No, that’s 23%. 
COSTELLO: You just said 5.6%.
ABBOTT: 5.6% Unemployed.
COSTELLO: Right 5.6% out of work.
ABBOTT: No, that’s 23%.
COSTELLO: Okay, so it’s 23% unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, that’s 5.6%.
COSTELLOWAIT A MINUTE. Is it 5.6% or 23%? 

ABBOTT: 5.6% are unemployed. 23% are out of work.
COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.
ABBOTTNo, Obama said you can’t count the “Out of Work” as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.

COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!
ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.
COSTELLO: What point?
BOTTSomeone who doesn’t look for work can’t be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn’t be fair.

COSTELLO: To whom?
ABBOTT: The unemployed. 
COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work. 
ABBOTT:No, the unemployed are actively looking for work. 
Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO: So if you’re off the unemployment roles that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!
COSTELLOThe unemployment just goes down because you don’t look for work?
ABBOTT
Absolutely it goes down. That’s how it gets to 5.6%. Otherwise it would be 23%.

COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bringdown the unemployment number? 
ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.
COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
ABBOTT: Correct.
COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
ABBOTT: Bingo. 
COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.

ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like a Democrat. 
COSTELLO: I don’t even know what the hell I just said! 
ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like Hillary

Whomever did this is absolutely brilliant!!!

Comments

Unemployment… — 18 Comments

  1. That is funny ! Thanks for sharing that.

  2. Looking forward to Obama being out of work and/or unemployed.
    Just gone.

  3. Everyone should post this and the ubiquitous Bob Hope ‘Democrats are like Zombies’ clip, right before the election!
    Stir things up…

    gfa

  4. Sir, this is the same kind of humor coppers and coroners have at murder scenes. If you count the sort of bitter cynical kind of laughter that trails off into a muttered, “…Those sonsofbitches…”, it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while.

    I laughed like Hell…

  5. I have to take exception to part of that. Unemployed just counts those who are looking for work… and still have unemployment insurance benefits. Those like me who don’t have a current job, are still looking for work, but are out of benefits are counted as out of the job market.

  6. Euripides/Senior- Thanks!

    Reed- Great point, and if the REAL numbers (including y’all) were posted, unemployment would be up around 20%… dammit