No. of Recommendations: 4
I seem to recall one of #43's guys suggest that a person could "make money selling stuff on Ebay"...
That was Dick Cheney, during the 2004 campaign.
from the net sifter:
Yes, during the 2004 presidential campaign, then-Vice President Dick Cheney suggested that federal unemployment statistics were inaccurate because they failed to account for people making money by selling items on eBay.
Context of the Statement
The Argument: Cheney argued that the economy was evolving and that traditional employment metrics missed the rise of the informal economy and home-based entrepreneurship.
The Quote: While speaking to an audience in Ohio in September 2004, Cheney said: “Four hundred thousand people make some money trading on eBay. That's a source that didn't even exist 10 years ago”.
The Implication: The implication was that many people considered "unemployed" by the Bureau of Labor Statistics were actually engaged in economic activity like eBay trading, and therefore, the unemployment rate did not fully reflect the true state of employment.
Reception
The comments were viewed by critics as dismissive of the struggles of those who lost professional jobs.
Some commentators, such as Kieran Healy and others, pointed out that while some people did make a full-time living on eBay, characterizing the 400,000 users as "employed" ignored the fact that many were selling personal items as a hobby or casual income, rather than running a full-time business.
The statement was part of a larger debate over whether the "household survey" (which showed higher job growth) or the "payroll survey" (which showed lower job growth) was a more accurate measure of the labor market in 2004
So, apparently, people selling their blood aren't "unemployed" either?
Steve
