NEW: California unemployment much higher than govt. admits

◼ I love how the Democrats are crowing about the “California Recovery.” Specifically, they want you to believe that unemployment is slowly declining in the State. Not so. - Stephen Frank/Cal Watchdog

This is from the California Employment Development Department on December 26, 2012:

“Current Benefits Status

“Currently, there are more than 920,000 people certifying for benefits in California. The majority of these customers are collecting on a federal extension claim while the remainder are somewhere in the midst of a regular unemployment claim.

“Between regular and federal extension benefits, the EDD has paid a total of $17.1 billion in benefits for calendar year 2011 and $9.3 billion so far this year (as of August 16, 2012), and is currently paying about $284 million a week. These benefits provide critical sustenance to unemployed workers and their families, in addition to local businesses where much of the benefits are spent on basic needs.

“Customers Who Have Run Out of Maximum Benefits

“As of December 24, 2012, there have been close to 928,600 unemployed workers in California who have run out of all available benefits.”

Funny numbers

In other words, if you counted all the California unemployed, that number is 1.846 million. The rate is not 9.8 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U-6 number, a broader measure of unemployment, is 19.6 percent — more than double what Obama and Brown want you to believe....