While math was not my best subject in school, I did master basic arithmetic — addition, subtraction, multiplication and long division — very early in life, along with reading, writing, and rational thinking. And it’s that last one — rational thinking — that’s causing me a bit of trouble lately because of some figures I’ve seen this week that just don’t seem to make sense.

According to the most recent jobs report, the U.S. economy supposedly added 151,000 jobs in February of this year, against an earlier forecast of 160,000. The unemployment rate is said to have held at around 4%. [Alicia Wallace, Elisabeth Buchwald, Bryan Mena and John Towfighi, CNN, March 7, 2025.]

Taken by itself, that sounds pretty good. But . . .

It’s no secret that, since Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20th — and the invasion of Washington by Madman Musk and his Merry Marauders — more than 200,000 federal workers at more than a dozen agencies have had their roles eliminated. In addition, another 75,000 accepted buyouts to leave their jobs. [Julia Reinstein, ABC News, February 24, 2025.]

So, what does that mean? Were 151,000 of those former government workers able to find new employment so quickly, leaving “only” 124,000 of their colleagues still searching? Or were the two factors completely unrelated, meaning that — while 151,000 formerly-unemployed folks across the country were able to find jobs — about 275,000 other, formerly-employed civil servants have been newly added to the unemployment ranks . . . thus rendering that 4% unemployment rate figure a total lie?

Simply put:

Jobs out: 275,000
Jobs in: 151,000
Net loss: (124,000)

It’s not rocket science, folks; it’s simple arithmetic. Just like the 2.6% we were supposed to accept as the rate of last year’s cost-of-living increase, it’s all fiction. Just check the price of eggs, rent, cars, toilet paper, gas, or pretty much anything else. It’s another lie.

The books are being cooked, in much the same way that the American oligarchs manage not to pay their fair share of taxes each year. It’s called Creative Accounting . . . and we’re expected to buy it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/10/25