92 million people aren't working

[LynnTTT]

The Republican candidates keep spouting this "statistic" and no one ever questions it. The speaker then continues on to imply that these are all people who have given up looking for work and therefore we have a failing economy. The statistic sticks in viewers minds.
Happened again on Morning Joe this AM from Rick Perry. And no one said the obvious. "Wait a minute ; there are only 320,000,000 people in the whole country, including babies and 90 year seniors. That statement implies that one in three people is out of work? Doesn't this statistic simply show the number of people over the age of 16 who aren't in the work force? Including my junior in high school, my full time college student, a stay at home mom, and every retiree?

[lamp_shade]

1. This...

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/feb/10/ted-cruz/ted-cruz-says-92-million-americans-arent-working/

[Gothmog]

2. This is a bogus GOP talking pioint

[Lucky Luciano]

4. In the best of times, the comparable number is about 82-3 million not working.

So the correct number to cite is on the order of 10 million. This is due to the lab force participation rate being down a few percent since tge recession kicked in.

[angrychair]

5. this a good sign

If half-baked pretzel logic, against PBO who is not running for president, is all they got than they don't stand a chance in a debate with someone like HRC much less a man most would consider even a better debater than PBO, Bernie.

[quadrature]

6. the reason teenagers can't get jobs ...

is that what once was a kids job,
is now taken by oldsters

[Puglsy]

7. I Never Heard THe 92 Million Figure Before?

I thought it was 10 mil. Where did you hear 92 mil. I can only guess they are talking about part timers. 90 mils is over 20 percent of the country.

[Recursion]

10. 92 million is eligible labor force non-participants

That is, people 16 and over who do not have jobs.

This includes retirees, the disabled, students, prisoners, and (for odd historical reasons) people in the military

[butterfly77]

8. I hate Scar...

[Recursion]

9. Also everyone in the military or prison

For some reason the military doesn't count as a "job" when the census generates those numbers