Beware of statisics, they can be very misleading

[JLM]

I saw on Global news tonight when unemployment in Alberta had risen more than any other province in Canada, Calgary up about 300% and Edmonton up 200%. People tend to just gobble that crap right up. Well a year ago in Calgary and Edmonton they had so many jobs they had to import people so obviously unemployment was close to zero, so if there are now 3 people unemployed in Calgary then yes unemployment is up 300%. Figures can lie and liars can figure.

 

[Mowich]

I saw on Global news tonight when unemployment in Alberta had risen more than any other province in Canada, Calgary up about 300% and Edmonton up 200%. People tend to just gobble that crap right up. Well a year ago in Calgary and Edmonton they had so many jobs they had to import people so obviously unemployment was close to zero, so if there are now 3 people unemployed in Calgary then yes unemployment is up 300%. Figures can lie and liars can figure.

You figure, JLM. Sorry, I couldn't resist. ;-);-)

 

[gerryh]

I saw on Global news tonight when unemployment in Alberta had risen more than any other province in Canada, Calgary up about 300% and Edmonton up 200%. People tend to just gobble that crap right up. Well a year ago in Calgary and Edmonton they had so many jobs they had to import people so obviously unemployment was close to zero, so if there are now 3 people unemployed in Calgary then yes unemployment is up 300%. Figures can lie and liars can figure.

....obviously you don't live in Calgary.

 

[VanIsle]

I saw on Global news tonight when unemployment in Alberta had risen more than any other province in Canada, Calgary up about 300% and Edmonton up 200%. People tend to just gobble that crap right up. Well a year ago in Calgary and Edmonton they had so many jobs they had to import people so obviously unemployment was close to zero, so if there are now 3 people unemployed in Calgary then yes unemployment is up 300%. Figures can lie and liars can figure.

I have heard JLM that there is little employment in Calgary at the moment. Things in Alberta have dropped off just like in the rest of Canada.

 

[JLM]

I have heard JLM that there is little employment in Calgary at the moment. Things in Alberta have dropped off just like in the rest of Canada.

That part is very true, but that is not my point as another (less gracious) poster who also missed the point pointed out. Using percentages to indicate change is absolutely useless when the starting number is close to zero. I know there are thousands unemployed in Alberta.

 

[TenPenny]

I saw on Global news tonight when unemployment in Alberta had risen more than any other province in Canada, Calgary up about 300% and Edmonton up 200%. People tend to just gobble that crap right up. Well a year ago in Calgary and Edmonton they had so many jobs they had to import people so obviously unemployment was close to zero, so if there are now 3 people unemployed in Calgary then yes unemployment is up 300%. Figures can lie and liars can figure.

Actually, if unemployment was 1, and it's up 300%, that would mean there were 4 people unemployed now.

 

[JLM]

Actually, if unemployment was 1, and it's up 300%, that would mean there were 4 people unemployed now.

You're getting it. Unemployment was at zero in Alberta a year ago, they were importing people and paying waiters $20 an hour.

 

[gerryh]

There were close to 15000 more people unemployed in Calgary last month. 15000 more, that's a far cry from 3 or 4.

 

[gerryh]

Employment in Alberta decreased by 15,000 in October, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.4 percentage points to 7.5%. Since October 2008, Alberta's employment has fallen by 3.3% (-68,000), the steepest rate of decline among all provinces.

Latest release from the Labour Force Survey. Friday, November 6, 2009

 

[JLM]

There were close to 15000 more people unemployed in Calgary last month. 15000 more, that's a far cry from 3 or 4.

Nobody was arguing with or denying that.

 

[Cannuck]

As they say, 58% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

 

[JLM]

The figures quoted below make my point, a far cry from the 200-300% reported on Global news

"Employment in Alberta decreased by 15,000 in October, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.4 percentage points to 7.5%. Since October 2008, Alberta's employment has fallen by 3.3% (-68,000), the steepest rate of decline among all provinces."

 

[gerryh]

what you did was minimize unemployment in Alberta.......... "because 2 years ago Alberta had jobs galore, then any unemployment now is minimal and any "rates" reported are sensationalism"

 

[Tonington]

I saw on Global news tonight when unemployment in Alberta had risen more than any other province in Canada, Calgary up about 300% and Edmonton up 200%. People tend to just gobble that crap right up. Well a year ago in Calgary and Edmonton they had so many jobs they had to import people so obviously unemployment was close to zero, so if there are now 3 people unemployed in Calgary then yes unemployment is up 300%. Figures can lie and liars can figure.

I doubt very much that people who are looking for work presently in Calgary and Edmonton care very much about the job market a year ago. Talking about labour market conditions that don't exist, that is the misleading part.

It just highlights the volatility in the Alberta economy, which is not insulated from the world-wide economy.

 

[JLM]

what you did was minimize unemployment in Alberta.......... "because 2 years ago Alberta had jobs galore, then any unemployment now is minimal and any "rates" reported are sensationalism"

Are you talking to me? I didn't minimize anything, I relayed what was on the news.

 

[gerryh]

Are you talking to me? I didn't minimize anything, I relayed what was on the news.

Yes, I'm talking to you, and you "relayed" more than what was on the news. Your little "editorial" is where the minimizing came in.

Well a year ago in Calgary and Edmonton they had so many jobs they had to import people so obviously unemployment was close to zero, so if there are now 3 people unemployed in Calgary then yes unemployment is up 300%.

 

[JLM]

Yes, I'm talking to you, and you "relayed" more than what was on the news. Your little "editorial" is where the minimizing came in.

You're full of horsefeathers- I was just illustrating how ridiculous the reporting was.

 

[gerryh]

You're full of horsefeathers- I was just illustrating how ridiculous the reporting was.

No, the riduclousness was introduced by you with the 0 to 3 figures.

 

[Tonington]

Guess I'll head to my statistics tutorial now. Time to cook up some more misleading data! :roll:

 

[JLM]

No, the riduclousness was introduced by you with the 0 to 3 figures.

WRONG again Einstein.................the "0" was what was reported a year ago, the 3 is what you get when the "300%" is applied. Do you have the mentality to absorb that fairly simple concept?