America's unemployment problem is a blight on the nation's economy. The truth of the matter is economies like Germany with a 5.7% and South Korea 3.7% unemployment rate, and America's rate of 8.3%. The politicians compare America's march forward is to a future European socialist state, but countries of Northern Europe are not looking to America as the land of opportunity. Germany has an economy strong in exports with a low tax rate as a conservatives of this country preach about on a daily basis. The European Socialist Superstate is not so alive and well in Germany. The reality is America has a deep problem with the unemployment, and Europe has zero to do with the American unemployment issue. What are the solutions to the unemployment issue? The issue can be sorted by the follow analysis: The plight of the unemployed in American society. The restoration of long-term unemployed to the mainstream economy. The restoration of the American economy to be a job creator nation … [Read more...]
US Unemployment rate 8.3%, South Korea 3.7%
The sobering statistic of the unemployment rate in the United States and South Korea is a comparison of how deep our economic damage from the Great Recession. February’s unemployment rate in South Korea rose from 3.2% to 3.7%in February due to an influx of college graduates. In the United States, the unemployment rate remained steady at 8.3 for February. February jobs report came in with 227.000 jobs being added, but the unemployment rate did not change due to formerly discouraged workers reentering the market place. The contrast on employment rate is a sober reminder of the long path of recovery ahead to full employment. United States and South Korea is not the perfect comparison as full employment for the United States is around 5%. A closer investigation will shed some light on the current recovery in the American job market. February’s unemployment rate did drop in 45 out of 50 states showing an improvement in the job market. Bureau of Labor Statistics did … [Read more...]
A remedy for long-term unemployed after Fed official warning
Donny Wise: National Unemployment: Examiner.com-Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke did nothing less than to sound the alarm bells on the impact of chronic long-term unemployment to the country’s growth potential and pool of available skilled workers. The impact is negative as the chronic long-term unemployment has taken away growth potential away from the US economy, and the loss of skills will continue among the long-term unemployed if the unemployment crisis continues with the potential loss of skill set to be permanent. In addition, jobless claims did drop last week, but the outlook for the job market remains uncertain as a hazy economic picture emerges under pressure of higher gas prices and Europe’s debt crisis. With the recovery in the job market far from certain, should community job programs to assist the long-term unemployed with skill sets and job search services to ensure a chance of this group a return back into the mainstream workforce? In the new economic … [Read more...]
Profiteering at the expense of the unemployed
In the new American norm, the unemployed worker is being subjected to many forms of acceptable discrimination in the new economy. However, the widespread impact of many workers losing employment due to consequences beyond the realm of personal responsibility did not illicit empathy in American society. The unemployed masses are facing insurmountable obstacles to return to as part of the mainstream American workforce. One of these obstacles is other entities profiteering on unemployment benefits as the unemployed attempt to obtain the necessary benefit or food stamp support to sustain a household until new employment is obtained As a safety net, unemployment benefits are the lifeline in a transition period for many workers in lieu of employment being terminated. The benefits are substantially less than earnings, and the recipient is dependent on this benefit to provide food, shelter, stability, etc. to self and household. The reality is that profiteering whether by illegal or … [Read more...]
Employment gains washing in gas prices
The good news is the January jobs report came in much stronger than the forecast of 150k jobs predicted by most analysts. The US Economy added 240k jobs for the month of January, and this jobs report does follow the 200k jobs added in December. The unemployment rate stood at 8.8% before two consecutive months of job growth brought down the unemployment rate to 8.5% in December and 8.3% in January. The fifth straight monthly decline and the second straight month of job gains over 200k. The good news is a sign the unemployment juggernaut beginning to feel the impacts of the recovery. The juggernaut turnaround may be short lived after a 15% increase in gas prices have made $5 gas a possibility, and Gallup has reported a mid-month increase in the unemployment rate for the month of February. The gains in employment may become a wash in the recent increase in gas prices. The wash in gas prices is making February 2012 the highest gas price level for the month of February. … [Read more...]
Mitt Romney: Unemployment and the Very Poor
Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney did cause a media stir after comments on CNN about "not concerned about the very poor" for they have a "safety net". After Tuesday's big win in Florida, Romney's comments are red flags for the candidate's understanding of the condition of the US economy and unemployment. President Obama's decision to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline was a red flag that common sense and politics do not make nice bedfellows, and Romney's comments play along the same line. The high unemployment numbers are creating a new underclass, and this underclass is part of the new very poor. As Felix Salmon stated in an opinion piece in Reuters, "The problem is that persistent unemployment at or around 10% is unacceptable in the especially with the social safety net being much weaker here than it is in Europe." The biggest problem with Mitt Romney's comments is this recessionary period is much different from the recessions of recent past. The middle class is … [Read more...]
Unemployment: Numbers do not account for human toll
December's unemployment rate falls showing a slight improvement in the overall job market, but last week's claims for unemployment spike showing continued weakness in the job market. What numbers do not disclose is the human toll for the millions of unemployed in America. Jessica Algood was excited about her recent job offer from 1-800-PACK-RAT, but her excitement was short lived as the job offer was rescinded by e-mail due to a recent employment gap in her employment history. Jessica is forced to live in a camper in the back of her parents' home with her two children. Jessica's story is one of millions that experience devastating consequences of being unemployed. What are the human toll and societal consequences in America of being unemployed? The reality is staggering in the unemployment and the human toll behind high unemployment. A Lancet medical journal studies shows a 3% rise in unemployment shows a correlating rise of murder, suicides, and alcoholism by 28%. Unemployment … [Read more...]
Hiring Practices against the unemployed equal discrimination on a massive scale
Personal responsibility can only control many factors in an individual’s life. A recession is a factor out of control of the average day American worker, and the responsibility does fall on the executives in control of managing the business unit and environment properly to survive any downturns in the economy. The 2008 economic crisis will be viewed as a historical turning point in American society as 9/11 was for the country. 9/11 did change our free society into a negated society in lieu of national security, and 2008 may be viewed by many historians as the American loss of humanity in the plight of the unemployed. The redundant talk of pundits is the same on many news shows and business networks in describing the unemployed. The words lazy, unreliable, and lost skill-set are all used to describe the unemployed in America, and the reality is these words are a nice deflector to describe the situation of the unemployed in our country as hard core discrimination. Many corporations are … [Read more...]
