The Mods logic is correct:
participation rate up = simply means more people telling the numb-nuts in management that they have got it wrong.
Actually - while the rise in the 'log on' count might be lauded, the actual result is proabably far from pretty - which is why the survey methodology uses batches of ten as a base - why ...it then skews (lessens) the % decline compared to pevious.
I don't care about the numbers who logged on - I'm more interested in the qualitative results......oh I doubt there will be any 'attributable outcomes'
AT