1.3 Million Jobs "added" this year by accidental double counting by BLS

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Feds ‘Added’ 1.3 Million Jobs by Double-Counting This Year, Top Economist Says

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The U.S. federal government has produced higher than expected jobs numbers by double-counting figures this year, a top economist has stated.

Throughout this year, the monthly jobs reports have been repeatedly topping market estimates.

The July and August non-farm payrolls (NFP) reports showed 528,000 and 315,000 new jobs, respectively.

The figures are far higher than what many economists and analysts had initially projected.

White House officials have taken victory laps on the employment data, noting that these numbers are proof the economy is strong and that President Joe Biden’s policies are supporting post-pandemic growth.

However, economists have been raising questions about the discrepancy between the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data and the various labor-related numbers revealed throughout the month.

Plus, many are questioning why the Federal Reserve’s quantitative tightening campaign failed to diminish labor demand.

Several experts say they have now determined what is causing better-than-expected labor numbers.

It appears the high numbers may have to do with double-counting.

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According to EJ Antoni, a research fellow for regional economics in the Center for Data Analysis at The Heritage Foundation, “There is considerable evidence that this double-counting has accelerated recently.”

Antoni’s research found that of the 5.8 million jobs recovered in the last year, roughly 1.3 million were the result of double-counting.

In the August numbers, double-counting accounted for 208,000 jobs.

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