Nearly 20 percent of U.S. workers underemployed: poll

Reuters ^

[Sub-Driver]

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. workers underemployed: poll 4:01am EST

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. workforce lacked adequate employment in January and struggled to make ends meet with reduced resources and bleak job prospects, according to a Gallup poll released on Tuesday.

In findings that appear to paint a darker employment picture than official U.S. data, Gallup estimated that about 30 million Americans are underemployed, meaning either jobless or able to find only part-time work.

Underemployed people spent 36 percent less on household purchases than their fully employed neighbors in January, while six out of 10 were not hopeful about their chances of finding adequate work in the coming month, the poll said.

[VOA]

ugly truths bump

[TSgt]

Don’t worry, the jobs bill will fix it! / sar

More of the same. There are only so many roads to pave. How about REAL long term jobs?

http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-congress-jobs-glance,0,122312.story

Hiring tax incentives — Exempts employers from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax this year on newly hired workers that have been unemployed for 60 days or more. Provides additional $1,000 tax credit for workers retained for at least a year. Cost: $13 billion.

Highway programs — Reauthorizes through the end of 2010 the highway trust fund to use gasoline taxes to help state and local governments pay for highway and transit projects. Deposits an additional $20 billion into the trust fund.

Equipment write-offs — Permits businesses to write off equipment as a business expense rather than depreciating them over time. Cost: $35 million.

Build America Bonds — Expands the Build America Bonds program to subsidize the interest costs of bonds to include certain school and energy projects. Cost: $2.3 billion.

[hal ogen]

We were in Beijing a few years ago and it snowed. Thousands of people with shovels and brooms came out of “nowhere” to pick it up. I asked a Chinese fellow why they didn’t have snowplows. He said “But then where would these people work?” That is the future under nobama and his misguided marxist minions.

[stevie_d_64]

Yeah, after almost a year, I just recently got the best offer and took a job for $8 an hour...

Am I happy about it???

hehehe, I look at it like they are getting a $110K professional for $8 an hour...

Keeps me sane...And give me a chuckle at the absolute absurdity of the overall situation...

[kamikaze2000]

No news to those of us in the real world. But Obama saved or created all the jobs the other 75-80% of workers have..so it’s a success!

[reagan_fanatic]

Hey unemployed Obama voters - how’s that hopey-changey thing workin’ out for ya?

[familyop]

Like Art Linkletter said during the ‘80s, we only need more positive thinking. Think positively, and you’ll be rich instead of being a worthless bum. ;-)

The whole situation is rich, IMO, and it’s been over thirty years in coming. In ten years or so, we’ll probably see much more character and less fear of it.

[familyop]

"Hey unemployed Obama voters - how’s that hopey-changey thing workin’ out for ya?"

Probably about as well as it did under Shalala, Hillary, and Hillary's retarded Howdy Doody. Oh, wait. Shalala and Hillary have a new Howdy Doodey. ;-)

[familyop]

...Howdy Doody, even.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

20% less income to redistribute.

[algernonpj]

[Ronbo1948]

How’s that “hopenchange” working for you?

[RU88]

After looking at this poll there was two things that struck me: 1) the correlation between being underemployed and a lack of high school diploma; and 2) the greater amount of job approval that Obama gets from the underemployed as opposed to those fully employed. You would think that the second fact would be reversed but when you look at the racial component as to who is underemployed, the greatest percentage being black or hispanic, then you begin to understand the poll results.