Claim: “8 million Americans have dropped out of the work force since Obama became President.”
Ad(s): Disappearing
Sponsor(s): Restore Our Future
Air Dates: September 19 – September 26
Total Estimated Spending On This Claim: $762,148 ($1,524,297 Total)
Markets: Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Traverse City, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Wausau
Stations: MI – WDIV, WJBK, WKBD, WWJ, WXYZ, WEYI, WRJT, WNEM, WSMH, WOOD, WWMT, WXMI, WZZM, WILX, WLAJ, WLNS, WSYM, WFQX, WGTU, WPBN, WWTV; WI- WBAY, WFRV, WGBA, WLUK, WKBT, WXOW, WISC, WKOW, WMSN, WMTV, WDJT, WISN, WITI, WTMJ, WAOW, WFXS, WJFW, WSAW
Politifact Summary: But what does this number really mean? For starters, it’s actually not a measurement of people who “can’t find jobs” — at least not entirely. In addition to discouraged job-seekers, it includes parents who decided to become a full-time mom or dad. It includes people who have decided to go back to school. And it includes people who have chosen to retire.
For the 44 months prior to January 2009, people left the labor force at a stable, predictable rate — in fact, essentially the same rate back to 2002. During that time, 3.8 million people left the labor force. So if you consider this the “normal” amount of departures from the labor force over 44 months, Obama’s presidency has seen departures increase by an “extra” 4.6 million. Bottom line: An extra 4.6 million people leaving the labor force (or never joining it in the first place) is still a big number. But it’s not 8 million.