Job Searches in 2003 the Longest in 20 Years

Reuters ^ | Fri January 9, 2004 03:45 PM ET | By Jonathan Nicholson

[RaceBannon]

Job Searches in 2003 the Longest in 20 Years Fri January 9, 2004 03:45 PM ET

By Jonathan Nicholson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The year 2003 was the most difficult for U.S. job hunters since 1983, as they faced the gloomiest job market in years, according to Labor Department figures released on Friday.

The unemployment rate was the highest since 1994, and the search for a new job was the longest in two decades.

According to Labor Department data, the average spell of unemployment lasted 19.2 weeks in 2003, or almost five months. That was the longest average duration since 1983, when the U.S. economy was emerging from the worst recession since the Depression. Then the average spell was 20.0 weeks.

As a percentage of all the unemployed, the long-term jobless -- those out of work for 27 weeks or more -- made up 22.1 percent in 2003, the highest annual number since 23.9 percent in 1983.

Democrats have called for renewing a federally-funded extension of unemployment benefits offered through states to deal with the problem. They revived their attacks on Friday after a weaker-than-expected jobs report showed only 1,000 new hires in December. Measures of long-term joblessness improved slightly in the month, though.

While Bush administration officials have continually repeated that they will not be satisfied "until every American who wants a job can get one," it has yet to support a renewal of extended benefits, a move many economists say would help blunt the economic damage of the rise in long-term unemployment.

In early December, Treasury Secretary John Snow told Reuters the administration had yet to decide if it would support extending the program for a third time.

According to the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, about 80,000 to 90,000 workers will be exhausting their state-funded benefits every week by late January, after the program's eligibility ended in December.

"Unemployment is the Achilles' heel of this administration and Congressional Republicans, and they cannot continue to ignore it," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, of Maryland.

Lee Price, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute and a former Clinton-era Commerce Department official, said the long-term jobless numbers show how difficult the labor market remains.

Extending jobless benefits again would stimulate the economy by putting money in the pockets of people not getting paychecks, Price said. "Almost 100 percent of that is going to be spent," he said.

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.

[futureceo31]

During the .COM years, quite a few people (techies amount others) made a lot of money with nothing to show for it. Lot of people also lost money but stories abound of techies who had hundreds of thousands of dollars and maybe even millions in stock options building products that few if anyone really wanted. A lot of them are out of work now and a lot of big corporations have had to make up those losses. Their solution has to be exporting of jobs to India but I think there are going to be facing a lot of big problems with these moves.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

There is no job that an American will not do.>>>

Not true. A dead, aborted American will not work. Not getting to grow up is a real bitch when it comes time to employ the person who was supposed to be alive to do the job in question.

We need Mexicans because we're exterminating ourselves and need someone to take the place of those we aborted. Next question?

[futureceo31]

Its a global economy. The job migration has happened and nothing can be done to stop it. That is free market capitalism and even though I hate the fact that most if not all of the products I buy is made in China and others, those are the facts. People will still stop at walmart, (which is probably the largest employer in China) and same with software.
But then, I do not see any other mass migration of job areas to other countries but would like to see others opinions on this.
A backlash at the polls is not going to produce more jobs in this country.

[sarcasm]

We need Mexicans because we're exterminating ourselves and need someone to take the place of those we aborted. Next question?

That, of course, is a lie. The population of the United States would still increase without any immigration

[futureceo31]

I dont see vast numbers of people out there complaining about illegals taking away their jobs. The local enemployment offices are full of people and the wanted ads are full of jobs in certain sectors of the market. Not everyone is going to earn the wages of a doctor or engineer. Free market is not determined by governmental forces but by companies and businesses and consumers. You as a consumer can demand that you will not give work to someone who hires illegals or someone who has call centers in third world countries but that is your perogative. That will determine also wether illegals get hired or not, and there is nothing that even a far right conservative can do anything about. Not something I am too thrilled about but that is how I see it..

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

That, of course, is a lie. >>

Nope.

The population of the United States would still increase without any immigration.>>

Would it? Remove the children of illegals and immigrants from the population increase formula and you get European pop-drop levels. NHW (Non-Hispanic Whites) are having less than 2.1 children/couple.

[sarcasm]

The government is interfering in the labor market by not enforcing the immigration laws - I thought that you did not want any government intervention.

[futureceo31]

And who is increasing the population? Non-whites are causing increases in the US population if triple, than at least double of the white populace. But I say that tongue in cheek since lot of "non-whites" are Hispanic who identify themselves as whites. But we do not need Mexicans or anyone else who are illegals. I am completly against illegal immigration but do not see a logical solution to this (border fences, and mass deportation are not common-sense solutions) even though I would be in full agreement with such policies but a majority of the country will not stand for them, especailyl when the media highlights one or 2 cases of people or god forbid, kids being killed while trying to be deported.

[sarcasm]

Annual Projections of the Total Resident Population as of July 1: Middle, Lowest, Highest, and Zero International Migration Series, 1999 to 2100.

[jpsb]

I don't know any dead aborted Americans, I do know alot of kids and adults that would like a descent paying job. Next straw man.

[sarcasm]

I see that you are now changing your argument.

[futureceo31]

Local and state governments have a lot more to say about enforcement and seems to be that they are the most lakadasical about this. If enough of local populations in areas that the illegals are most predominant, get out there and start complaining and demanding enforcing of laws, this would cause a ripple effect. But the fact of the matter is that the local populations are instrumental in aiding and abetting this. I am for enforcing strict penalties on local employers who employ illegals but these are the ones who are also contributing to local politicians. Most of the local areas that have a vast number of illegals are controlled by leftist and democratic governements (counties and the like) and without starting the discussion in those areas first, there is not much the federal government can do with the current illegal immigrant population that are in this country.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

One remembers the classic Dilbert 'toon:

Pointy Haired Boss: "I've decided to use humor in the workplace. It reduces tensions during this time of corporate downsizing."

(next panel)

PHB: "Knock knock!"

Clueless employee: "Who's there?"

PHB: "Not you any more!"

[futureceo31]

I am all for finding a common sense solution to this problem but as I keep repeating, mass deporation and border fences is not the answer. I try to look for solutions that not only make sense but are palpatable to a majority of the country's populace. I agree with most of your points but do not see them as common sense solutions and that is the point I am trying to make..:)

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

I don't know any dead aborted Americans,>>

Of course you don't. That's because they're dead and aborted. Hence they're invisible. Just like their killers want them to be.

God is not mocked.

[irgbar-man]

Bump what you said!

[futureceo31]

This is moving to a different topic, but if the majority of the population really knew what was involved in abortion, we would have a lot more pro life than pro abortion population. But that is not the case and the leftist media is hyping this myth of women's choice.

[jpsb]

A backlash at the polls is not going to produce more jobs in this country

yes it will, it will motivate our leaders to start protecting our industries and our jobs. Just like we used too before the GOP drank the free trade cool aid. The most powerful economy the world has ever seen was build behind tariff walls. Screw the global economy and it's cheap crappy products that fall to pieces.

[sarcasm]

Enforcement of immigration law is a federal responsibility. The federal government has totally failed to protect the borders and does no meaningful interior enforcement. What we have at present is de facto government intervention in the labor market - something that you say that you oppose.

[jpsb]

1) Punish, really punish employers that hire illegals
2) Deny (except emergency medical) socail services to illegals.

That is all you have to do.