The federal government reported today that the unemployment rate fell to 10% for the first time since the recession started last year.
But are the numbers accurate?
Mint.com is not so sure. The company is giving its own take on what it really means to be unemployed with an amusing video they are calling “The Unemployment Game.“
We are curious why Mint.com would take on unemployment as an issue. But take a look at Mint.com and you see the company is clearly trying to take economic trends and provide their own spin on what the numbers mean.
For companies in our space, the unemployment issue hits home. Thousands of people have been let go from their jobs. Jobs are hard to come by. So this is a perspective that has some resonance.
Free budget software – Mint.com
Mint.com makes the point that we need to take a closer look at unemployment figures. The government tells us that the recession is over and the economic stimulus is working. But we still have to be thinking about how the Fed reports its numbers. Mint.com says that if you count everyone, the unemployment rate should be 17.2%.
The video is amusing. It’s a smart approach that gives a different perspective on the economy. We cover a lot of enterprise issues but the perspectives we see from companies often focuses exclusively on their products and other narrowly focused issues.
Mint.com takes a different approach. They are a personal finance service, but the issues they cover affect anyone who works in the business world.