Unemployment

[Guest]

http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

Just click the "play" button in the middle of USA


A thank-you to islandgal for posting this in another thread.

I felt it deserves it's own thread.

[Guest]

the REAL % unemployed...only those currently getting benefits. You can add 4-6% to the numbers shown.
We don't seem to hear much about the economy's number one problem any more.

btk

[Guest]

the REAL % unemployed...only those currently getting benefits. You can add 4-6% to the numbers shown.
We don't seem to hear much about the economy's number one problem any more.

btk


How to create 2.8 million jobs the easy way.

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2010/04/more-obama-funny-math.html

[Guest]

Unemployment is a problem, no doubt. That's undeniable. I agree that the reported percentages are probably understated. And I agree with some who have said that extending unemployment benefits, as Congress did recently, does nothing to encourage people to get out and find a job...any kind of job.

But the fact that the economy is undergoing a pretty robust recovery is also undeniable. I was looking at some fundamental analysis of the economy in the last few days and stumbled on some compelling statistics. One of the measures that some of the economists and analysts use to measure true economic activity is how much "stuff" is getting shipping within the U.S.

In recent months, the amount of goods being shipped, by rail and air and by the shipping services, UPS, FedEx and even the USPS, is expanding dramatically. Both FedEx and UPS reported dramatically improved profits and activity. The FedEx CEO noted that the level of shipping activity is higher now than at any time in the history of the company. UPS also reported record profits. The tonnage of freight being shipped by rail is setting records. The recovery of the economy is also undeniable.

The conundrum--I sure don't have an answer--is how come business activity can be so robust and unemployment still so high? Have we become that much more efficient in so short a time? Were a lot of people being paid for not doing a whole lot of work? If had the answer to those questions, I could probably run for POTUS...or at least one of those sweet seats in Congress.

[Guest]

Unemployment is a problem, no doubt. That's undeniable. I agree that the reported percentages are probably understated. And I agree with some who have said that extending unemployment benefits, as Congress did recently, does nothing to encourage people to get out and find a job...any kind of job.

But the fact that the economy is undergoing a pretty robust recovery is also undeniable. I was looking at some fundamental analysis of the economy in the last few days and stumbled on some compelling statistics. One of the measures that some of the economists and analysts use to measure true economic activity is how much "stuff" is getting shipping within the U.S.

In recent months, the amount of goods being shipped, by rail and air and by the shipping services, UPS, FedEx and even the USPS, is expanding dramatically. Both FedEx and UPS reported dramatically improved profits and activity. The FedEx CEO noted that the level of shipping activity is higher now than at any time in the history of the company. UPS also reported record profits. The tonnage of freight being shipped by rail is setting records. The recovery of the economy is also undeniable.

The conundrum--I sure don't have an answer--is how come business activity can be so robust and unemployment still so high? Have we become that much more efficient in so short a time? Were a lot of people being paid for not doing a whole lot of work? If had the answer to those questions, I could probably run for POTUS...or at least one of those sweet seats in Congress.


My experience with the business I ran was that it was easy to get "fat" and then when you HAD to lose to continue to exist, you say...WOW....we found easier and cheaper ways to do everything..lets stick with it for awhile ! Another cycle of business !

[Guest]

My experience with the business I ran was that it was easy to get "fat" and then when you HAD to lose to continue to exist, you say...WOW....we found easier and cheaper ways to do everything..lets stick with it for awhile ! Another cycle of business !

That's the only explanation that I can think of for the persistent high level of unemployment. The government has tried to do things to hype employment, but they don't seem to work. Oh, people argue that the "right" things weren't done, but the fact remains that nothing that was done seems to be working very well.

I wonder whether even a CCC program such as was used back following the Great Depression would work these days? Even then, it's got to begin with people wanting to work. Back then there was a social stigma associated with people who were out of work. People would do just about anything to get back to earning a paycheck to avoid embarrassment. These days life seems so easy with all the entitlements that people seem to just lay back and wait until a really good job comes along.

This time around, I'm not at all sure those kinds of jobs will turn up. Maybe the economists are right--that persistent unemployment near 10%, more than double what we're used to, might become the norm. That's the level of unemployment experienced in most of the rest of the developed world.

[Guest]

That's the only explanation that I can think of for the persistent high level of unemployment. The government has tried to do things to hype employment, but they don't seem to work. Oh, people argue that the "right" things weren't done, but the fact remains that nothing that was done seems to be working very well.

I wonder whether even a CCC program such as was used back following the Great Depression would work these days? Even then, it's got to begin with people wanting to work. Back then there was a social rejection associated with people who couldn't get a job. People would do just about anything to get back to earning a paycheck to avoid embarrassment. These days life seems so easy with all the entitlements that people seem to just lay back and wait until a really good job comes along.

This time around, I'm not at all sure those kinds of jobs will turn up. Maybe the economists are right--that persistent unemployment near 10%, more than double what we're used to, might become the norm. That's the level of unemployment experienced in most of the rest of the developed world.

We need to foster anything that will encourage and ease business growth and new business start up..PERIOD

And a social comment from me...come up with programs to encourage WORKING instead of programs that discourage it !!! I know that most of the programs are geared to HELP unemployed but basically they make it a career.

[Guest]

It is no mystery, jobs are still being sent overseas. Many years ago I read an essay that said there has never been a civilization that has survived without manufacturing. That remains to be seen. I know most "service type" jobs have always been low-paying.

I was at a store today and thumbed through Dick Morris's new book and I read that there is less then 6 out of 10 people working right now. Like I said in an earlier post, some people feel that the only way we can bring the jobs back to the USA is a Flat Tax. The tax structure we have now is favored towards the politicians, so it will never happen.

[Guest]

In recent months, the amount of goods being shipped, by rail and air and by the shipping services, UPS, FedEx and even the USPS, is expanding dramatically. Both FedEx and UPS reported dramatically improved profits and activity. The FedEx CEO noted that the level of shipping activity is higher now than at any time in the history of the company. UPS also reported record profits. The tonnage of freight being shipped by rail is setting records. The recovery of the economy is also undeniable.



Could that mean that the unemployed are sitting at home ordering things online from Amazon? That's what my unemployed, bankrupt neighbor did for for two years before he lost his house. Fed Ex and UPS were there every day!!!!! He always had packages on his doorstep.

[Guest]

the trend we have been experiencing for the last 20 or so years will continue...fewer jobs.

There are new jobs in new energy endeavors such as wind turbines, nuclear power plants, other new power plants, and yes even more drilling....they all have huge NEW manufacturing potential....a new industrial REVOLUTION...

The subject matter, however is not on the current administartion's AGENDA like the health care reform.
Just think what Obama could do for himself, his party but most importantly America if he gave it the same priority.
Won't happen.

btk

[Guest]

In my company I have totally lost count on the number of jobs that have been lost. A few years ago they called it "downsizing" about 25% - 35% percent of jobs were lost. Then a new group came in they started another round which they called R4G....Restructure for Growth. We called it a bloodbath. We used to have 2 campuses they outsourced and cut so many people they now all fit in one. Most all openings are frozen. It was fun though when the CEO went into an account and the customer complained about the service response. The CEO ask the service manager why he responded that 2 engineers had retired and one died a year ago and the positions were frozen.

My CEO and Wall Street think that we have to grow the business 10% each year. In a flat market you can't increase sales so what gets cut...staff, training and research and development. Outsourcing means losing control which have led to quality issues and we are in trouble.

Makes a lot of sense

[Guest]

When I was 'downsized' from Putnam Investments back in 2003, I was caught in the 5th wave of terminations. The 6th, just a couple of weeks later, got a friend of mine who I thought would be one who would turn out the lights.

During the early rounds, the effective CEO of Putnam (as we were owned by Marsh McClennan) was given a $26M bonus. All for improving the bottom line that year. I calculated that, based on average salaries, the people laid off before me could have kept their jobs for a couple of years on that bonus. Of course the following year there were indictments for illegal "front running" and protecting high-value clients (by processing their trades before a fall in price, then processing 'ordinary people's trades - even if the ordinary people made them first). He destroyed work teams that were some of the best I've ever seen in my 30 years in software. It's no surprise that Putnam lost more than half it's assets under management in subsequent years - to the point where MMC had to sell Putnam to a Canadian firm.

[Guest]

99.999% of the time when an employee second guesses the decisions of the business owners or managers the employee is wrong.

[Guest]

For a better understanding of unemployment numbers, take a look at how the government measures unemployment. The information is enlightening. I've included just a little from the government site. From the US Dept. of Labor:

"Some people think that to get these figures on unemployment, the Government uses the number of persons filing claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits under State or Federal Government programs. But some people are still jobless when their benefits run out, and many more are not eligible at all or delay or never apply for benefits. So, quite clearly, UI information cannot be used as a source for complete information on the number of unemployed.

"Other people think that the Government counts every unemployed person each month. To do this, every home in the country would have to be contacted—just as in the population census every 10 years. This procedure would cost way too much and take far too long. Besides, people would soon grow tired of having a census taker come to their homes every month, year after year, to ask about job-related activities.

"Because unemployment insurance records relate only to persons who have applied for such benefits, and since it is impractical to actually count every unemployed person each month, the Government conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country.


http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm