JANUARY 30, 2013
Obama’s Scorecard – Four years later
As the table below shows, from unemployment to housing to debt, the country is worse off than when the President first took office.
1 “Long-term unemployed” means for over 26 weeks; data for January 2009 and December 2012.
2 "Workforce Dropouts” are working age individuals aged 16-64 not in the labor force, not seasonally adjusted; data for December 2008 and December 2012.
3 “Food Stamp Recipients” means average annual participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called food stamps; data for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2012.
4 Average retail price per gallon, in real dollars, January 2009 week 3 and January 2013 week 2.
5 “High unemployment” means having a 3-month average unemployment rate of 6% or higher. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ “Extended Benefits Trigger Notice” for January 18, 2009 and January 13, 2013.
6 The “Misery Index” equals unemployment plus inflation.
7 According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these values represent monthly “moderate” cost per family of four for January 2009 and November 2012, in real dollars.
8 U.S. median sales price of existing single-family homes for metropolitan areas for 2008 and 2012 Q3.
9 Residential mortgage delinquencies (real estate loans) for 2008 Q4 and 2012 Q3.
10 Values for January 21, 2009 and January 16, 2013.
From a Ways and Means Committee publication: http://1.usa.gov/WQrLrn
