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The Great Recession has lasted a lot longer for some than for others. A new survey from Rutgers University’s John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development found that “one in five workers - or nearly 30 million people - say they were laid off from a job in the past five years," dating back to the end of the recession in June 2009. "Nearly 4 in 10 of these laid-off workers say they searched for a job for more than seven months before finding another one; one in five workers laid off during the past five years never found another...

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly decreased in the week ended September 27th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said initial jobless claims fell to 287,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level of 295,000. The pullback came as a surprise to economists, who had expected jobless claims to climb to 297,000 from the 293,000 originally reported for the previous week. The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also edged down to 294,750, a decrease of 4,250 from the previous week's revised average of 299,000. With...

This morning I'm watching Bloomberg news, and they just started the hour with a quick discussion of unemployment, in anticipation of the week's statistics. I am left distinctly unenthused by the nature of that "discussion". Nobody is talking about unemployment, as a lack of jobs. We have as a country, one big problem. We have sent millions of AMERICAN JOBS to other countries. Many to the Peoples Republic of China. Our solution is so simple. America needs to bring back American jobs. Nobody is willing to say that. We continue as a nation to run a 30 billion trade deficit...

The U.S. economy added 248,000 jobs in September as labor markets rediscovered the momentum gained earlier this year. The headline unemployment rate dropped unexpectedly to 5.9% from 6.1% The better-than-expected figures are certain to rekindle the debate over the timing and trajectory of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, as the positive report will have many economists looking for rates to move higher sooner rather than later. In August the economy generated just 142,000 new jobs, well below expectations on weakness in major sectors including manufacturing, retail and transportation. That number was revised upward to 180,000 on Friday, according...

The U.S. unemployment rate is below 6% for the first time in more than six years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday morning, Oct. 3, that the economy added 248,000 jobs in September, pushing the unemployment rate down to 5.9% from 6.1% in August. The unemployment rate hadn’t been below the 6% mark since July 2008, according to BLS historical data. Employment increased most strongly in professional and business services, retail trade and health care, the government said. The government said the number of people unemployed in September declined by 329,000 to 9.3 million. During the last year,...

While many will be giddy because the BLS reported that job creation came in at 248,000, well above analysts expectations-- and because unemployment ticked down to 5.9 percent-- make no mistake: this is still a bad job market.ThatÂ’s because another 315,000 people left the labor force last month. When adding in the numbers of people who entered the civilian population (217,000) job creation is hardly keeping up with population growth.The job gains, in fact, are not much better than in previous years. When one accounts for part-time work, discouraged workers and those who have dropped out of the labor force...

Initial Reaction The payroll survey shows a net gain of 248,000 jobs vs. an expectation of 215,000 jobs. Last month was revised up by 69,000 to 180,000. The six-month string of plus 200,000 jobs remains broken. Last month the household survey had a gain in employment of only 16,000. That number was not revised up. This month the household survey shows a respectable gain of 232,000, pretty much in line with the establishment survey. Nonetheless the household survey over the past six months has been much weaker than the establishment survey. One or the other is apt for some serious...

Northeast States: For an area that used to be a political powerhouse, it is becoming increasingly marginalized due to excessive taxes and the ensuing population shift I have written on this subject before, and now the affects of high taxes and population migration are playing out in a substantial, political way: the decline of about 40% of Congressional seats in the Northeast. According to the Census Bureau, high taxpayers are moving south. It notes that in the 11 states that comprise the Northeast, population grew at a rate of only 15% over the thirty year span from 1983-2013, while the...

Not so long ago the federal deficit was projected to destroy the country, our children’s future and just about everything else. Budget battles shut down the entire government for a couple weeks. How times change. A count by our colleague Alice Crites illustrates how the issue gained media traction – - especially after the Bush/Obama stimulus packages to mitigate Bush’s Great Recession – and how much it’s faded from the front pages. So what happened? Simple answer, of course, is that the deficit is way down and, for now, no longer a big problem.

(CNSNews.com) – Author and retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson said at a National Press Club luncheon that the reason for the “sluggish growth” of the U.S. economy is because of bad policy. “And why do we have such sluggish growth?” Carson said on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. “Because we have asinine economic policies.” Carson, who gained a following after remarks he made about the “moral decline” of the nation in a speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, told an appreciative audience that they should think about that fact concerning the economy.

Memorial Day weekend drivers will continue to take a hit as gasoline prices remain high. May 20 marks the 1,245th straight day that the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline costs more than $3 a gallon, according to AAA data. That’s nearly three-and-a-half years above $3 a gallon.

When Barack Obama was first elected President he took to the podium along with his smiling V.P. and announced that America would be brought back with “shovel ready” jobs. In other words the construction business would be aboomin. Unfortunately like many of the President’s promises, too many to mention, it turned out to be just another illusion. A few years later, when both the President and Vice President were taking questions about the lack of jobs, and their shovel ready promises, they looked at each other, laughed and said “Right”. Unless we go down the road of the Chinese and...

n a speech in Washington on Friday, Hillary Clinton repeatedly criticized economic and social conditions under President Obama, barely mentioning the accomplishments of the man who appointed her secretary of State. Clinton's address, at the New America Foundation, was a broad indictment of the country's current leadership, with exactly one -- one -- note of praise for the Democratic president Clinton has called her partner and friend. Clinton, never known for self-effacement, began by noting her lifelong desire to make the world a better place and the "driving force" toward public service instilled in her by her mother. From there,...

A record 92,594,000 Americans were not in the labor force in April as the labor force participation rate matched a 36-year low of 62.8 percent, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In March, according to BLS's non-seasonally adjusted data, there were 91,630,000 Americans not in the labor force. In April, that increased by 964,000 people to an all-time record of 92,594,000. The previous record was 92,534,000, set in January of this year. The BLS's seasonally-adjusted number for people not in the labor force--which was 92,018,00 for April--was also an all-time record. This was up 988,000...

The U.S. economy stalled in the first three months of 2014, but don't panic yet as it's probably just the winter weather effect. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, grew at a 0.1% annual pace in the first quarter, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Wednesday. That's brutally slow, even by sluggish post-recession standards. Since the Great Recession ended in June 2009, the economy has been growing at a rate of about 2% to 3% per year.

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH:  One-tenth of 1%.  One-tenth of 1%!  Let me say it again.  One-tenth of 1%.  That's first quarter economic growth, and the Regime is blaming the cold weather.  I thought it was supposed to be global warming.  That was the reason for the cold weather.  Now the cold weather, which, because of global warming, is what the Regime is using to explain economic growth.  One-tenth of 1%.  Ladies and gentlemen, the ChiComs have overtaken us.  The ChiComs are the world's biggest economy, a communist country.  I warned everybody about this March the 4th of last year, this McKinsey...

Washington - Drivers on the nation’s Interstates could soon be paying more to travel. A transportation proposal sent to Congress by the Obama administration on Tuesday would remove a prohibition on tolls for existing Interstate highways, clearing the way for states to raise revenue on roads that drivers currently use at no cost. Congress banned tolls on Interstates in 1956 when it created the national highway system under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The administration said lifting the toll ban would help address a shortfall in funding to pay for highway repairs. The tolls, along with other changes, could provide an

National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, now speaking to the NRA Annual Meeting’s Leadership Forum, held at the Lucas Oil Stadium: “One hundred million gun owners will not back down, not now, not ever. Freedom has never needed our defense more than now.” “The core values that we believe in the things we care about most are changing and eroding: our right to speak, our right to gather, our right to work, our right to practice our religion and raise our family and protect them they see fit. Those aren’t old values or new values. They are core...

As a thank you for paying taxes today, the White House has written up a “2013 Federal Taxpayer Receipt” that shows most income tax, 25.19 percent, goes to health related areas, after accounting for Medicare and Social Security. “Want to know how your federal taxes are spent? President Obama is keeping his promise to make sure Americans like you can easily see what you're getting for your taxes,” said an email from the White House. The email notes that payroll taxes for Social Security tops Uncle Sam's take. They also break out Medicare separately from income tax expenditures. Users can...

Obamacare is hurting people. A lot of people -- and not just the ones who are wasting all day trying and failing to sign up for the dysfunctional 600 million dollar website. Millions of Americans are losing their insurance, losing their doctors, and taking huge hits to their wallets because of Obamacare. Here are some of their stories... 1) Man with leukemia loses his health insurance: Michael Cerpok is a high school drop-out, one of six kids born to a school teacher, and doesn't come from a wealthy family. He has run two businesses for more than 25 years and...