Do we have anyone from American Samoa on FR? I have a question:
According to Wikipedia, unemployment in American Samoa was 29.8 % in 2005. 2041 workers were laid off in 2009 due to Chicken of the Sea closing down their tuna canning plant in response to U.S. minimum wage legislation being forced upon the territory in 2007 (by Republican action, no less!) and despite the protests of the local gov’t. Yet in 2010, unemployment is stated to be 23.8%. (I am not sure if this is before or after FURTHER layoffs at Starkist, in 2010.) The total population in 2007 was only 68,200 people (growing at an average of 2.3% per year.)
So, the question is, where are the jobs coming from, or is this another case of baloney unemployment statistics?
To be clear, the local gov’t of American Samoa was fighting to have the minimum wage NOT apply to the territory, as they knew that would force the layoffs.