NYT reporters should know that Germany counts workers who have part-time employment, but desire full-time employment, as being unemployed. This is different from the U.S. (and international) methodology, which counts these people as being employed.

This means that when the NYT tells readers that Germany had an unemployment rate in the 3rd quarter of 8.2 percent, it is misinforming them. The NYT could have reported the internationally comparable 7.6 percent unemployment rate for Germany with a quick trip to the OECD website.

–Dean Baker

Dean Baker is senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several books, including Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. Read more about Dean.