Jobless Rate Jumps for Katrina Evacuees (Overall Jobless Rate Drops to 4.7%)

Yahoo (AP) ^ | 4/7/2006 | ALAN SAYRE

[The_Victor]

NEW ORLEANS - More than a third of Hurricane Katrina evacuees still out of their homes were unemployed in March, a sharp jump from February, the federal Labor Department reported Friday.

In addition, the civilian labor force figure that includes evacuees still out of state and those who have returned home was down, an indication that many stopped looking actively for work or saw their jobless benefits end.

The report on Katrina evacuees came the same day that the federal government reported a national payroll boost of 211,000 jobs in March that pushed the national unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent.

The jobless rate for storm victims who had not returned home hit 34.7 percent last month, compared with 22.6 percent in February, the Labor Department said. The unemployment rate for those who had returned home also rose a bit — from 4.8 percent in February to 5.3 percent in March.

The report for both months was based upon about 1 million evacuees and former evacuees at least 16 years old. In total, about 55 percent of the group was unemployed in March, compared with 49 percent in February.

Over March, the number of evacuees and former evacuees in the civilian labor force also dropped to 54 percent from 58 percent in February.

Based on a survey of 1.2 million people in January, the jobless rate was 2.9 percent for returned evacuees and 26.3 percent for those who had not returned.

The Labor Department said the report did not cover the entire evacuee population because it did not include people living in shelters, hotels and churches.

[The_Victor]

This take on the economy made me LOL!

[massgopguy]

Who knew laziness had portability?

[uncitizen]

O-M-G!

[SaveTheChief]

Ahh the media - always looking for a gray cloud in a silver lining.

It's very simple. People are jobless because

They refuse to look for a job.
They are lazy and expect the government to care for them.
They are caught in the liberal welfare trap and have no job abilities.
They are children, or retired.

What a steaming pile.

[JmyBryan]

When I was taking econ during the Carter Admin I was taught that the natural, full employment rate, was an unemployment rate of seven percent.

By those numbers, we're two and a half percent over-employed.

Just shows how academia backs the media bias, making them believe they are objective.

[libs_kma]

Out of work that long?

If one didn't know better, they might come to the conclusion that those people were jobless parasites on society even before the storm.

But no, that couldn't be true right? right? right? /sarc

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

LIES!

Everyone knows that the only people who "work" in this country are Mexicans in this country illegally.

Oops, I mean "undocumented workers."

Pardon the solecism

Anyway, anyone who tells you otherwise is a xenophobic, racist bigot.

Just ask Dane.

:-)

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Uh, what was their employment rate "BEFORE" Katrina??

Methinks more of NO finest are working post, than pre Katrina.

[sgtbono2002]

More than likely these same people were jobless before the storm. With all the rebuilding in New Orleans I dont see how anyone wishing to work can be without a job. Unles they are pretty worthless to begin with.

The only jobless rate I am really concerned with in new Orleans is when Nagin becomes jobless.

[Borax Queen]

EXCUSE me? They are "border crossers."

:)

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

LOL.

I guess that euphemism is as good as any.

I don't remember who it is-maybe CowboyJay, but I could be wrong about that-but there's one FReeper who has a list of all the politically correct euphemisms the FROBLS use to excuse illegal immigration on his profile page.

Pretty funny stuff, IMO.

[EGPWS]

The jobless rate for storm victims who had not returned home hit 34.7 percent last month, compared with 22.6 percent in February, the Labor Department said. The unemployment rate for those who had returned home also rose a bit — from 4.8 percent in February to 5.3 percent in March.

And I though the issue was that we needed illegal aliens to do the work that American citizens refused to do?

[Borax Queen]

Oh... that sounds good! I have so many from our local paper alone - "migrant," "border crosser," "entrant," "undocumented worker," "immigrant," - anything to avoid using the word illegal. You've probably seen those before, but every time someone hasn't, s/he is a little shocked!

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Civil violator, undocumented American, unapproved future citizen, illegal entrant, etc...

Words mean things.

Unless you're a liberal, in which case you can change their meaning ad libitum.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[Based on a survey of 1.2 million people in January, the jobless rate was 2.9 percent for returned evacuees and 26.3 percent for those who had not returned.]

When you are being paid to sit on your sorry ass, why work? < / human nature 101>

[B4Ranch]

By Laura Heinauer mailto:lheinauer@statesman.com
Ph: 512-445-3694
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, March 31, 2006

Transportation planning issues between the City of Austin and the Federal Emergency Management Agency led to a mix-up involving a hurricane resource fair that has critical e-mails bouncing around the Internet.

According to the e-mail, which had the subject line "Why am I not surprised!!," only one person took advantage of free shuttle transportation to a job fair held by city, state and federal officials at Austin Community College's Eastview campus the weekend of March 22.

"The vehicles were brought to (the evacuees') residences; drivers knocked on the doors; and every effort was made to ensure they knew the transportation was> available for them," the e-mail states. "At the end of the day, the nine vans and buses transported a total of one person. Not one person per bus — one person total. The bill to FEMA was $7800. MORAL: Why work if someone else is paying your bills!"

Actually, the resource fair, one of several that have been held in Austin since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, was held Feb. 18. And, according to city officials, more than 200 people showed on a rainy, 30-degree day, many commenting on how helpful the resource agencies were.

But the punch line of the heavily circulated e-mail is true: Only one evacuee took advantage of the free rides.

Officials could not verify if drivers knocked on doors, but they did say 12 shuttles were provided for evacuees who lived outside the Capital Metro service area including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Marble Falls and Georgetown. The bill for transportation to the "Austin & the Gulf Coast: The Perfect Blend" event was just over $7,000.

City officials said publicity about the free rides was limited because they didn't get confirmation that FEMA would reimburse the cost until four or five days before the event. Going through the city's procurement process took time, which meant the shuttles weren't secured until day before.

Rebecca Giello, a City of Austin spokeswoman, said, "I wouldn't consider the
(shuttles) a huge success."