[I]n 1982, the unemployment rate only rose to “well over 10 percent,” to use Jordan’s words, in October 1982, when it hit 10.4 percent. However, this number was released after Election Day, meaning that it could not have been a factor on voters’ minds. It peaked at 10.8 percent in November and December 1982. So while Jordan’s number is not far off, it does modestly exaggerate how high voters knew unemployment to be as they prepared to vote.Here’s another difference — the average unemployed worker this year has been jobless much longer than in 1982. In August 1982, the median length of unemployment was 8.7 weeks. In August 2010, it was 19.9 weeks — more than twice as long. And that’s not a blip. For nearly a year, the median duration of unemployment has ranged between 19 and 25.5 weeks. So Jordan is right that there are some similarities between the recessions of 1982 and 2010. But she glosses over the fact that unemployment didn’t go “well over 10 percent” in 1982 until after the election, and her use of the overall unemployment rate overlooks an important factor — that workers this year are likely to have been without jobs much longer. On balance, we rate Jordan’s comment Mostly True. Continue reading… Politifact

[I]n 1982, the unemployment rate only rose to “well over 10 percent,” to use Jordan’s words, in October 1982, when it hit 10.4 percent. However, this number was released after Election Day, meaning that it could not have been a factor on voters’ minds. It peaked at 10.8 percent in November and December 1982.

So while Jordan’s number is not far off, it does modestly exaggerate how high voters knew unemployment to be as they prepared to vote.

Here’s another difference — the average unemployed worker this year has been jobless much longer than in 1982.

In August 1982, the median length of unemployment was 8.7 weeks. In August 2010, it was 19.9 weeks — more than twice as long. And that’s not a blip. For nearly a year, the median duration of unemployment has ranged between 19 and 25.5 weeks.

So Jordan is right that there are some similarities between the recessions of 1982 and 2010. But she glosses over the fact that unemployment didn’t go “well over 10 percent” in 1982 until after the election, and her use of the overall unemployment rate overlooks an important factor — that workers this year are likely to have been without jobs much longer. On balance, we rate Jordan’s comment Mostly True.

Continue reading… Politifact