Jobless Rate Worse Than the Headlines Say

azcentral.com ^ | 9-22-03 | Justin Bachman

[riri]

An analysis of the latest government monthly economic data suggests the unemployment situation is worse than the headlines portray.

August numbers from the Department of Labor found a 6.1 percent unemployment rate, or about 8.9 million people out of work. But in its analysis of other monthly data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. reported the real unemployment rate was 9.1 percent.

[1rudeboy]

Back in the good old days of the Nasdaq bubble, everyone was so dazzled by tech hype and our high stock price that they'd buy practically anything. Now, big corporate customers ask all sorts of annoying questions, like whether the stuff really works and what sort of payback they'll get. Boy, is my job harder than it used to be.
--Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft

______
The Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2003, p. B1.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Lets get something clear - any job is a good job.

While true in a general sense, not everything is right for everyone at every time. I too, when I was in college and high school, worked at jobs like you describe. But for me, at 47 and after a long and successful career and much education, those same jobs are not right...certainly not for anything but the shortest duration imaginable. For me, it would be better to plug away and find something reasonably appropriate than to just take anything. I've had weak moments when I've submitted applications for much lesser positions, but I think I've been fortunate that the people have simply considered me over-qualified -- I would never have survived in those jobs, it wouldn't have been successful.

[shaggy eel]

,,, ouch!

[buwaya]

Re emergency rooms - Its happened to me - I paid on the installment plan.

[buwaya]

Absolutely correct - I've done this often enough.

[buwaya]

This was not the first bubble and it won't be the last. Get ANY job, no matter what, you will feel better doing it than sitting around.

[AGreatPer]

Give me an answer for my son, please.

He is a Senior this year and just announced he doesn't wan't to go to college. There are no jobs.

How do I argue?

[buwaya]

What talents does he have ? Has he worked before ? Can you afford college ?

[Jumper]

Thanks everyone for the viewpoints. Just one concern which remains to be addressed. This country sees more long term benefit through trade, championing free trade as it is called, than "fair" trade. If the US today were to assert her right to make trade "fair" then it would destroy the system. This system existed long before the the WTO. The WTO is actually a global system which integrates nations peacefully into the international fold. Most of the State Department jibberish in diplomacy is laced with advancement of goals through trade. It is my humble opinion that as the leading economic engine in the world, the US must sometimes accept less in order to get more. On economies of scale, people - individuals - are hurt by this action but in the broader sense (cents) we all benefit from the advancement of these policies. I'm sorry for those who cannot make a living wage, or those out of work. I'm also sorry that some believe taxing the rich will allivate this plight at the expense of future growth and job creation. There are no easy answers but I make one simple suggestion - do not work for someone else if starting out in life, but rather engage in a vocation that is in demand so that you own your means of production; while I know this is not possible for everyone, it is the best I can come up with.

In the USA today, people are given an opportunity to succeed. Most Americans prefer to get "jobs". Those who immigrate prefer to create their own jobs. In Europe, they have a social safety net for everyone, but there is no opportunity. Without opportunity as an incentive, there is no significant individual spirit released to become creative. I watch my EU coworkers every single day struggle with knowing that their current plight is the penacle of their social experiment; faced with restructuring because their society cannot any longer provide for all as it has in the past. It is better that we Americans suffer as we than collectively as Europeans.

There is not a single answer politically. Currencies will play a pivital role in trade and job protection; not tarrifs or policies, least we revert to wars throughout the world tomorrow.

[JNB]

Jumper, accept less in order to get more? Sorry, that is not going to fly politically and the longer this "free" trade drags on, the more likely the voters in the US, fed up with more declines of their standard of living, will elect those who will make the uS a European style welfare state. Theory may make sense, but sorry, it wont fly in the real world. The US consumers has been helped by a massive expansion in the M3 money supply that really loosened up credit standards, but this situation can not go on long term. When the bills come due and more and mroe consumers can not pay them, they will elect those who promise to help them.

[MissAmericanPie]

Yeah, I didn't much like the way Bush shrugged it off tonight in his interview, then directed the conversation back to the cost of the war. I'm guessing alot of unemployed voters won't like it much either.

[null and void]

I am sure you would enjoy firing a person hiding a degree to get a food on the table. But you are mistaken, it is very easy to cheat on resume and even easier to get friends to verify that you worked for them as a cook.

He'd fire the HR flack who didn't do their job by screening candidates before they tied him up with WASTED interviews.

[A. Pole]

Live your life by whatever lights you care to...and leave me to live mine without your unwanted advice.

It was not an advice, I just noticed that your nose has gotten longer.

[A. Pole]

Sorry, that is not going to fly politically and the longer this "free" trade drags on, the more likely the voters in the US, fed up with more declines of their standard of living, will elect those who will make the uS a European style welfare state. Theory may make sense, but sorry, it wont fly in the real world.

You forgot that there is a third mode - Latin American style oligarcy. If the voters want to extract some real consessions from the owning class, they will be deprived of power to vote, either openly or in a disguised form.

Is USA drifting closer toward Europe or toward its southern neighbours?

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

A nonsense. Everyone lied some time in his life and almost everyone achieved something through them. You must be from the different planet, sir, and your former wife must hate you.

Interesting...you obviously don't read the Bible...

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. ...And again in:

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Not too long after that...Israel ended up in REAL trouble...

[A. Pole]

He'd fire the HR flack who didn't do their job by screening candidates before they tied him up with WASTED interviews.

Do you hire private investigators? Your company must be doing very sensitive stuff.

[A. Pole]

Interesting...you obviously don't read the Bible...

I read - do not give a false testimony against your neighbor - do not slander an innocent person. Bible does not forbid to make a white lie to survive or protect others. You do not know the Bible or you read selected fragments.

In my country people who spoke the truth to the Germans(about the resistence movement or hidden Jews) were ending up hanging on the tree or getting shot.

[taxed2death]

"Trust in the Republican policy".

The Republican policy is the same as the Democrats policy....to give tax breaks to corporations for moving jobs offshore.


Bush is a sellout.

[varon]

It's time to start shopping by label and not by price.

Sounds good but what to do when you just can't find a product Made in USA at any price?