President Trump continues to argue that the real number of unemployed Americans is much higher than economists claim. He places the true number of unemployed at 96 million, or every American over the age of sixteen who doesn't have a job, even if he doesn't want one.
Bloomberg reports that Trump's unemployment exaggerations resonate with many of today's unemployed, who are often held back by geography, disability, felon status, or age discrimination. The official unemployment rate might be at an historically low 4.9%, but broader unemployment measures have stayed relatively high, with many Americans being shut out of the labor force altogether.
Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics
What's coming next: Structural forces like the aging of the workforce and the increasing importance of education will likely push this number lower, whatever the policies coming out of Washington.
