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Windwalker said:

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I have a copy of the report on my computer in PDF form.

I'm happy for you. I found the link to that PDF and decided to just save the LINK to my notepad on this subject.

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The Preface was one of the things omitted in your Summary. This tells who prepared the report.

I ONLY posted that summary link as an afterthought to give SOME reference for my post. I don't CARE "who" prepared it... I sure wouldn't recognize any of the names... but, I suppose the CBO accepts them and that's fine with me.

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This is the very first paragraph of the report. Not a "SUMMARY".

The first "paragraph" of any report or essay is a "topic paragraph" and, as such is a "summary." Just like a topic sentence is. The important point is... I think we are BOTH quoting the same "report."

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It is stating that the total unemployed is above 40% today, and has been there since December of 2009.

No.... it's NOT! This is where you misunderstood the statistic. I'll try to make this quick and dirty so you don't pee yourself.

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The rate of unemployment in the United States has
exceeded 8 percent since February 2009, making the past
three years the longest stretch of high unemployment in
this country since the Great Depression.

That's not entirely true, but I don't have time to address it right now. Previous recessions and periods of high unemployment might have been a few months shorter. But, everyone knows this is the "Mother of all Recessions" .... just a decision or two away from a full blown depression!

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Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the unemployment rate will remain above 8 percent until 2014.

Again... I am pressed for time but, CBO "estimates" are based on current policy decisions and laws. NONE of the recent hiring increases, or tax incentives, are figured in. The CBO is better at figures and analysis then they are at prognostication.

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The official unemployment rate excludes those
individuals who would like to work but have not searched
for a job in the past four weeks as well as those who are
working part-time but would prefer full-time work; if
those people were counted among the unemployed, the
unemployment rate in January 2012 would have been
about 15 percent.

There are some misstatements here, but I'll have to address them later. For the most part.... I don't disagree with this. The "total unemployment" rate has historically been about double the "official" numbers. Under Reagan, this figure would have been about 23% (and I CAN provide links.)

HERE is where you make your mistake:

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Compounding the problem of high unemployment, the share of unemployed people looking for work for more than six months—referred to as the long-term unemployed...

Meaning.... listen up now... the PERCENTAGE of the "official" unemployed [8.3%] who have been looking for work for more than 6 months... a SUBSET of the total "official" unemployed.... "has now topped 40 percent in December 2009 for the first time since 1948, when such data began to be collected."

IOW... nearly (but well BELOW half) of those filing for benefits have NOW been filing for over six months. This is why we needed the extension of U.I. benefits for those people. It is 40% of the official unemployed that are now unemployed for that much LONGER. NOT.... nearly HALF of the workforce is unemployed!

You "GOT IT" now?

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it has remained above that level ever since.

Well, of COURSE it has! MOST recessions in our history were recovered from in an average of 12.3 weeks of unemployment. These are considered "cyclical" recessions in a free market society. EVERYONE agrees this was just a hair shy of a depression like the "Great One." MOST agree that only the NEW DEAL government intervention put an end to THAT one.... and if Obama's stimulus had been BIGGER, we'd have recovered much sooner.

Consider this:

If the percentage of "actual" (not total) unemployed... by those unemployed for 6 months before Obama was inaugurated... in a given month finally broke the 40% barrier.... what was it the month BEFORE? Or for years before? [ Chuck Yeager beat his OWN speed record at least 3 times in one year!]

How many months longer than the LAST "long term unemployment" situation [under Reagan] are required to break the record? [About two years under Reagan.] Answer: ONE.

Obama inherited a DEEP recession, widely accepted as just SHORT of the Great Depression. NONE of us really know much about that time... but, we know we didn't want to go BACK there! And.... we DIDN'T!

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Something else that the report talks about is "PARTICIPATION". The number of people that actually have jobs. I don't remember seeing any percentages, but it did say that (something like) there are 11 million less people employed today than there were in 2007.

2007 is recorded as the beginning of the recent "recession." WHO was president then? I don't blame DUBYA himself for all of it! But... you gotta stop trying to put this on Obama's shoulders!

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Now, would you mind telling us just where in all of this do you see anything even remotely related to a "RECOVERY"? The economy turning around??? Where in bloody, blue blazes is the recovery?????

Well... you DID ask! But, I'll give you a potty break before I take on this question. I just found out I have to "go out" tonight at 9 instead of tomorrow morning. I'll wait until I see you post an acknowledgement that you understand the discussion so far!

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You have just over 58% of the American Work Force that actually is employed.

Nope. Not true.

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And, it doesn't stop there. We HAVE to "*****-FOOT" around China, because if they call their note on us, we're in DEFAULT.

They cannot and will not DO that. IF I have to explain WHY... I will need more line 5 time and another 2 or 3 posts.

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We've been operating IN THE RED for a long time. But, never as much so as in the last 3 years.

I share your concern.... but NOT your hysteria. But, this is another discussion.

Down and dirty.... in case you didn't get it.... 40% of the "official unemployed" have been so for more than 6 months. [Thanks to Dubya...] That's less than half of the "official" rate of 8.3%. NOT nearly half of the workforce!

What's the TITLE of this thread? Loss of Common Sense?

... how appropriate.