According to Breitbart.com, a public policy firm by the name of Demos just released a poll which showed that 45% of 18 to 34-year olds are unemployed. I saw this via a tweet by a Libertarian radio show host I know personally. Since the number seemed fishy to start with and Breitbart is so far to the right, they make Fox News look "fair and balanced," I decided to do a bit of research. What did I discover? Breitbart's "finding" is so far off the mark, it makes meteorologists look accurate.
Yes, there was a recent poll released by Demos which centered around unemployment. However, the poll's finding was that "45% of the unemployed are between the ages of 18 and 34," not that 45% of 18- to 34-year olds are unemployed. How drastic is the difference? Let's look at the numbers, shall we?
Real Numbers
Total unemployed: 23,400,000 (out of 312,000,000) = 7.5%
Unemployed 18- to 34-year olds: 10,300,000 (out of 71,760,00) = 14.4%
Unemployed all other ages: 13,100,000 (out of 240,240,000) = 5.5%
Breitbart Numbers
Total unemployed: 45,392,000 (out of 312,000,000) = 14.5%
Unemployed 18- to 34-year olds: 32,292,000 (out of 71,760,000) = 45.0%
Unemployed all other ages: 13,100,000 (out of 240,240,000) = 5.5%
Difference
Total unemployed: 21,992,000 or 7.0%
Unemployed 18- to 34-year olds: 21,992,000 or 30.6%
Unemployed all other ages: 0 (out of 240,240,000) or 0.0%
Looking at these numbers, Breitbart was further off than an inebriated Dick Cheney when hunting birds. What may be even more disappointing than this sad excuse for a "news" organization is the fact this egregious report is being spread by others, including the Libertarian radio show host I spoke of earlier. When I notified him of what the study actually reported, he replied with, "The article's not mine. It's Breitbart's. Talk to them."
That's supposed to take people off the hook for spreading false information? What happened to the party of accountability and personal responsibility? The false report may have originated with Breitbart, but that doesn't excuse others from continuing to spread the chain of misinformation.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/07/Surprise-Students-Dont-Want-More-Government
http://www.demos.org/publication/stuck-young-americas-persistent-jobs-crisis
Yes, there was a recent poll released by Demos which centered around unemployment. However, the poll's finding was that "45% of the unemployed are between the ages of 18 and 34," not that 45% of 18- to 34-year olds are unemployed. How drastic is the difference? Let's look at the numbers, shall we?
Real Numbers
Total unemployed: 23,400,000 (out of 312,000,000) = 7.5%
Unemployed 18- to 34-year olds: 10,300,000 (out of 71,760,00) = 14.4%
Unemployed all other ages: 13,100,000 (out of 240,240,000) = 5.5%
Breitbart Numbers
Total unemployed: 45,392,000 (out of 312,000,000) = 14.5%
Unemployed 18- to 34-year olds: 32,292,000 (out of 71,760,000) = 45.0%
Unemployed all other ages: 13,100,000 (out of 240,240,000) = 5.5%
Difference
Total unemployed: 21,992,000 or 7.0%
Unemployed 18- to 34-year olds: 21,992,000 or 30.6%
Unemployed all other ages: 0 (out of 240,240,000) or 0.0%
Looking at these numbers, Breitbart was further off than an inebriated Dick Cheney when hunting birds. What may be even more disappointing than this sad excuse for a "news" organization is the fact this egregious report is being spread by others, including the Libertarian radio show host I spoke of earlier. When I notified him of what the study actually reported, he replied with, "The article's not mine. It's Breitbart's. Talk to them."
That's supposed to take people off the hook for spreading false information? What happened to the party of accountability and personal responsibility? The false report may have originated with Breitbart, but that doesn't excuse others from continuing to spread the chain of misinformation.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/07/Surprise-Students-Dont-Want-More-Government
http://www.demos.org/publication/stuck-young-americas-persistent-jobs-crisis
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