The real unemployment number: 17.5%

10.2%  was the unemployment rate for American workers in October of 2009.  At least, that is what we were told.  In reality, however, the percentage of Americans lacking fulltime employment was far higher.  According to a recent New York Times article:

In all, more than one out of every six workers — 17.5 percent — were unemployed or underemployed in October… This includes the officially unemployed, who have looked for work in the last four weeks. It also includes discouraged workers, who have looked in the past year, as well as millions of part-time workers who want to be working full time.

Worse still is the revelation that:

Nearly 16 million people are now unemployed and more than seven million jobs have been lost since late 2007.

This catastrophic news came as the White House applauded itself for “saving or creating” 600 thousands jobs with stimulus funds and as the House passed a trillion dollar healthcare bill riddle with job killing taxes and new government entitlements.  With more Americans hitting the unemployment line each day, it is becoming overwhelming evident that the elites in Washington–including the 237 millionaires in Congress— simply do not get it.