By Mark:
As expected, for the eighth straight month August saw a loss of jobs in the United States. Unemployment has now sweltered to a five-year low with 605,000 jobs being lost already this year. Just over 6% of Americans are now unemployed, these are people that want to work and can’t find it. Isn’t that amazing, 6% of qualified, hard-working Americans don’t have jobs. About 84,000 jobs were lost in August alone.
The manufacturing industry saw the biggest loss with 61,000 jobs disappearing.
Yet John McCain believes our economy is in a good place. Well if he considers oil companies continuing to make record profits while hard-working Americans are getting squeezed at the pump a good economy then yeah I’d say it’s great. I don’t think McCain’s Bush-like view on the economy is going to cut it.
The numbers are actually even more staggering than they seem. The figures only reflect those without work who are looking for jobs. They do not include those who are looking for full-time work but can only find part-time jobs.
Whatever your theory is on how the government can influence the job market, it is clear that we have a serious issue with unemployment and the economy in this country and it’s irresponsible for George Bush and John McCain to say they like where the economy is at and where it’s headed.
Barack Obama gets it when it comes to the job market. He believes Americans should be able to make a ‘living wage’ and he voted for raising the minimum wage to $7.25 and for restricting employer interference in union organizing. The AFL-CIO has given him a rating of 100%.
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1 comment:
At last a conversation I can sink my teeth into….
For starters, the American economy is at its current state because of our own actions.
We are Lazy – we allow unions to stand in the way –making sure our laborers never work a minute more thank they should and never miss a break. Unions have gone too far in this country – so far that it stipends growth and therefore the GDP. Think this has anything to do with our ability to compete with other countries? These are jobs lost due to our own laziness. Last time I checked Obama supports unions.
We are un-educated and have income expectations that are way too high – I am sorry but it is time to hear the facts. Workers can no longer expect to lift boxes and make a wage competitive with a teacher. They must not only possess a skill, but most importantly a skill that is in demand. Lets see ---- Sciences, Technology (not just computer programming), medicine, this country has moved from a manufacturing industry to a service industry! This cannot be helped unless our workers are willing to work harder for less…… next point.
As long as companies are forced to pay U.S. workers more than they would in other countries we will lose jobs. The grass is greener on the other side for manufacturing America. Obama, stop telling America that it is not their fault, it is their fault – BECOME EDUCATED, WORK HARDER and WATCH OUR GDP RISE AS UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS. This is all called ADAPTATION….
Any policies enacted that do not fix this problem will only prolong our misery. No more handouts, no more excuses, time to pull yourself up like our elders the WWII generation taught us to. I personally am ashamed of my generation, the audacity we have to complain about our standing. We are not entitled to anything – if you want it – go out and get it – after all this is America!!!
And really, enough about big oil. Yes their profits are record, but compare them to other industries and you will quickly see they are in line. While they are successful, I would like to remind everyone of who actually owns these companies… The American people! Take a look at your retirement plan, I guarantee you that you are a stockholder of these companies (Large Cap Stocks-) and that if it wouldn’t be for big oil – your 401Ks would have been hit much harder if oil was’nt cushioning the blow. Stop blaming well run companies and start blaming you America. Time to become more efficient.
Isn’t it funny that all it takes to change our habits is higher prices? I bet you don’t know too many people who recently bought an SUV; I bet you even know some people who have started to car pool recently. We are suddenly using less oil as a county. Hybrid vehicles have gone from 85K four years ago to 36K now. Americans are winy, greedy slobs who for the last 20 years refused to suck in their oil consuming waist lines. They will continue to refuse unless it hits them in the pockets. This is not something a president will fix; this is something we will fix.
People will only change their habits after they are hurt buy them. This is called tough love. To fix the economy, to fix our dependence on oil, it will take some pain before we are motivated enough to really make change. Any policy to interfere with the natural consequences of the economy – supply and demand – will only prolong misery.
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