Detroit jobless rate hits a record 28.9%

[DetroitZack]

Since modern record-keeping began in 1970 at no time has Detroit's unemployment rate been worse then the current 28.9%

http://www.freep.com/article/2009082...at-record-28.9-

[Hamtragedy]

That still seems low.

[lilpup]

Those are just the ones on record as filing for unemployment - not those who have exhausted their benefits or those who are underemployed and thus ineligible for benefits.

[R8RBOB]

Those are just the ones on record as filing for unemployment - not those who have exhausted their benefits or those who are underemployed and thus ineligible for benefits.

I have to disagree with you. The 28.9% comes from unemployment filings and job fairs. Job fairs are an excellent source to gauge how many people are not working. The number is higher than reported because you have people who isn't eligible for benefits and those that just not in the system.

[Diehard]

I suspect it's higher than that. A lot of people make a living under the radar - the ones who do hair, fix cars, bake cakes, etc. out of their homes, for example. They're not filing tax forms.

[Thames]

I suspect it's higher than that. A lot of people make a living under the radar - the ones who do hair, fix cars, bake cakes, etc. out of their homes, for example. They're not filing tax forms.

Well then, the people you describe are not unemployed, they're just not taxpayers.

[R8RBOB]

Well then, the people you describe are not unemployed, they're just not taxpayers.

You're correct. They are called under the table workers and they are never counted because they are getting paid straight cash.

Actually they pay taxes too, just not fed/state/city taxes. Gas taxes, cigarette taxes, liquor taxes, cell phone, etc....

[MIRepublic]

The unemployment rate is always higher for every city, metro and state listed because of how we measure unemployment. Because the measurement is consistent across the board in its inconsistency, the numbers can be compared to other places.