Jobless, and Stunned

New Marx Times ^ | 1/9/03 | Herbert

[pabianice]

Left behind by the great Republican raid on the national Treasury are folks like Karelia Escobar and Joe Bergmann, middle-aged New Yorkers who have worked most of their lives but now find themselves traveling the anxious paths of the long-term unemployed.

With bills mounting and each day bringing a heightened sense of dread, they could use a little help. But the jobless are at the bottom of the economic heap, and the Bush administration's help seems always to go to the top.

Ms. Escobar is 43 and single, and lives in a small apartment in Queens. She has worked for a number of airlines over the past several years, most recently as a ticket agent for T.W.A. That job vanished with the World Trade Center.

"We were laid off Oct. 14, 2001," she said. "I haven't been able to find work since then. I've applied everywhere. I've gone back to school to improve my computer skills. I've learned another language. I feel very bad because I want to work so I can pay my bills. I've always worked. But now I can't find a job."

That plaintive comment is echoing from coast to coast. Unemployment is rising. And as the millions of jobless Americans (including many in the middle class) exhaust their benefits and run through their savings, they are finding themselves face to face with the horror of destitution.

[desertcry]

The belly aching of a socialist media.

[snippy_about_it]

Yet we continue to import work from India, Pak, China and elsewhere to fill the "supposed" need in tech!

[Republic of Texas]

70% of all people employed in the US are employed by SMALL business.

[ICE-FLYER]

obvious bias against the GOP and Bush Hello, he's an opinion columnist. He's paid for having a bias. Complaining about his "bias" against Bush and the GOP is like claiming Ann Coulter is "biased" against Democrats. This is an op-ed, not a news article. If you want to complain about the NY times news articles being biased, fine- there's plenty of fodder. But complaining about an op-ed being "biased" will just give Herbert a good laugh.

Hello, I can have my opinion on it too, can I not?? An Opinion does not have to be so one sided in an editorial section. Are you going to tell me that he is simply paid to lie? To only tell one side? To not THINK about what it is he is saying. I would love to hear ANYTHING from people who are at least honest.

[clamper1797]

and if I can find a job win the lottery, how come others can't?

[RnMomof7]

So when all the Large industrial jobs are gone..and much of the "pink coller" jobs are gone..who will be using those small businesses

I posted government stats the other day that in 2000 only 1/2 of the people that lost manufactuing jobs had gotten new jobs and only half of them were making what they made at their old job..Look at the CORRECTED Sept numbers


Changes to seasonally adjusted employment, hours, and earnings series for
September 2002, as originally released on December 6, 2002.

All Employees (thousands) Level Change
Total nonfarm 130,829 -80
Total private 109,536 -80
Goods-producing 23,748 -26
Construction 6,556 -11
Special trade contractors 4,189 -11
Manufacturing 16,640 -15
Durable goods 9,832 -10
Lumber and wood products 764 -1
Furniture and fixtures 488 -1
Stone, clay, and glass products 558 -1
Primary metals 586 -1
Fabricated metals 1,412 -3
Industrial machinery and equipment 1,801 1
Computer and office equipment 296 1
Electronic and other electrical equipment 1,392 -2
Electronic components and accessories 550 -3
Transportation equipment 1,661 -2
Motor vehicles and equipment 912 -2
Aircraft and parts 400 -1
Nondurable goods 6,808 -5
Food and kindred products 1,694 -1
Apparel and other textiles 516 -1
Printing and publishing 1,403 -2
Chemicals and allied products 1,010 -1
Service-producing 107,081 -54
Private, service-producing 85,788 -54
Wholesale and retail trade 29,954 2
Wholesale trade 6,663 -5
Durable goods 3,897 -4
Nondurable goods 2,766 -1
Retail trade 23,291 7
Building materials and garden supplies 1,067 2
General merchandise stores 2,856 6
Department stores 2,515 7
Food stores 3,392 -5
Automotive dealers and service stations 2,438 -2
New and used car dealers 1,131 1
Furniture and home furnishings stores 1,153 -4
Eating and drinking places 8,129 10
Finance, insurance, and real estate 7,773 3
Finance 3,837 3
Depository institutions 2,078 2
Nondepository institutions 783 1
Mortgage bankers and brokers 382 1
Insurance carriers 1,577 -1
Insurance agents, brokers, and services 789 1
Services 41,336 -59
Agricultural services 874 -2
Hotels and other lodging places 1,782 4
Personal services 1,287 1
Business services 9,330 -56
Services to buildings 1,042 -1
Personnel supply services 3,188 -48
Help supply services 2,869 -58
Computer and data processing services 2,190 -2
Motion pictures 595 -1
Offices and clinics of medical doctors 2,079 -1
Legal services 1,072 1
Educational services 2,550 2
Social services 3,199 -2
Residential care 906 1
Membership organizations 2,478 -4
Engineering and management services 3,659 -2
Engineering and architectural services 1,029 -1
Management and public relations 1,224 -1


Women Workers Level Change
Total nonfarm 64,005 -12
Total private 51,906 -12
Goods-producing 5,973 -2
Manufacturing 5,165 -2
Industrial machinery and equipment 387 1
Transportation equipment 366 -1
Nondurable goods 2,599 -2
Food and kindred products 555 2
Apparel and other textiles 366 -2
Printing and publishing 625 -1
Rubber and misc. plastic products 307 -1
Service-producing 58,032 -10
Private, service-producting 45,933 -10
Wholesale and retail trade 14,255 -6
Wholesale trade 2,069 -3
Retail trade 12,186 -3
Finance, insurance, and real estate 4,876 1
Services 24,762 -5


Production or nonsupervisory workers Level Change
Total private 89,698 -27
Goods-producing 16,624 -29
Mining 432 -1
Construction 5,028 -12
Manufacturing 11,164 -16
Durable goods 6,539 -10
Lumber and wood products 617 -2
Furniture and fixtures 383 -1
Stone, clay, and glass products 434 -1
Primary metals 448 -2
Fabricated metals 1,047 -2
Industrial machinery and equipment 1,088 -2
Electronic and other electrical equipment 813 -1
Transportation equipment 1,071 1
Motor vehicles and equipment 676 -1
Nondurable goods 4,625 -6
Food and kindred products 1,250 -1
Textile mill products 351 -1
Apparel and other textiles 398 -3
Printing and publishing 732 -1
Private, service-producing 73,074 2
Transportation and public utilities 5,577 4
Wholesale and retail trade 25,880 4
Wholesale trade 5,343 -4
Retail trade 20,537 8
Finance, insurance, and real estate 5,672 1
Services 35,945 -7


Average Weekly Earnings Level Change
Goods-producing $664.14 $0.40
Mining 762.70 1.79
Construction 736.42 -1.90
Manufacturing 626.28 0.41
Transportation and public utilities 668.36 2.50
Wholesale trade 627.17 -0.85
Finance, insurance, and real estate 596.73 -0.36


Average Weekly Hours Level Change
Mining 42.8 0.1
Construction 38.8 -0.1
Lumber and wood products 41.1 -0.2
Primary metals 44.2 0.4
Blast furnaces 46.0 0.2
Electronic and other electrical equipment 38.8 -0.1
Transportation equipment 42.6 -0.2
Motor vehicles and equipment 44.3 -0.1
Misc. manufacturing 38.6 0.1
Food and kindred products 40.8 0.1
Tobacco products 39.9 0.4
Textile mill products 41.2 0.1
Paper and allied products 41.4 -0.1
Chemicals and allied products 42.4 -0.1
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics 40.8 0.1
Leather and leather products 35.6 0.2
Transportation and public utilities 38.5 0.1
Wholesale trade 38.5 -0.1

Average Hourly Earnings Level Change
Goods-producing $16.48 $0.01
Manufacturing 15.35 0.01
Transportation and public utilities 17.36 0.02
Wholesale trade 16.29 0.02
Finance, insurance, and real estate 16.53 -0.01


Average Weekly Overtime Hours Level Change
Durable goods 4.1 -0.1


Index of Aggregate Weekly Hours Level Change
Total private 148.3 -0.1
Goods-producing 104.4 -0.3
Construction 177.2 -0.8
Manufacturing 91.9 -0.2
Durable goods 94.2 -0.2
Lumber and wood products 134.1 -1.1
Furniture and fixtures 121.0 -0.3
Stone, clay, and glass products 113.9 -0.2
Primary metals 75.1 0.4
Blast furnaces 59.0 -0.2
Fabricated metals 108.2 -0.2
Industrial machinery and equipment 81.7 -0.1
Electronic and other electrical equipment 78.2 -0.3
Transportation equipment 105.6 -0.4
Motor vehicles and equipment 144.5 -0.6
Miscellaneous manufacturing 90.8 0.2
Food and kindred products 114.9 0.2
Tobacco products 53.3 0.5
Apparel and other textiles 43.1 -0.3
Paper and allied products 93.7 -0.2
Printing and publishing 106.0 -0.1
Chemicals and allied products 95.3 -0.2
Petroleum and coal products 72.9 -0.5
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics 132.9 0.4
Leather and leather products 24.1 0.2
Transportation and public utilities 131.4 0.5
Wholesale and retail trade 140.7 -0.1
Wholesale trade 126.1 -0.4
Retail trade 146.6 0.1


Index of Aggregate Weekly Earnings Level Change
Total private $286.80 -$0.20
Goods-producing 187.90 -0.40
Construction 289.20 -1.40
Manufacturing 166.10 -0.20
Transportation and public utilities 221.10 1.00
Wholesale and retail trade 264.20 -0.10
Wholesale trade 254.30 -0.50
Retail trade 270.00 0.10
Finance, insurance, and real estate 344.60 -0.20
Services 474.80 -0.10


Average hourly earnings, 1982 dollars Level Change
Goods-producing $9.03 $0.01

Average weekly earnings, 1982 dollars
Goods-producing $363.91 $0.22


Diffusion Indexes, 1-month span Level Change
Total private 49.3 -1.0
Manufacturing 40.1 -1.4


Diffusion Indexes, 3-month span (August 2002)
Total private 45.1 -1.9
Manufacturing 34.6 -3.3


Diffusion Indexes, 6-month span (June 2002)
Total private 46.0 -1.3
Manufacturing 34.2 -2.6


Quarterly average employment, 2nd quarter 2002, in thousands
Level Change
Total nonfarm 130,844 -27
Total private 109,574 -27
Goods-producing 23,787 -9
Manufacturing 16,691 -5
Service-producing 107,057 -18

Who is going to use your business?

[plain talk]

Corporations really don't pay any taxes anyway because they just pass them on to us in the way of higher costs. We pay all the taxes. Taxing Corporations is just a scam in the form of indirect taxation so the feds can get more money for their programs and the people can't even tell how much they're paying. Taxes would come down in a NY second if the people had to cut a check every month for ALL the tax they actually pay - direct and indirect.

[Incorrigible]

Bump

[RnMomof7]

Well actually "we all " do not pay taxes..all those unemployed folks will be using our taxes not putting anything in......so what do you think will happen as the tax base shrinks?

[Republic of Texas]

We are not guaranteed a job. Just the Pursuit of Happiness. Note, we aren't even guaranteed Hapiness. It IS tough out there. But forcibly taking money from one person and giving to another is morally wrong. GET ANOTHER JOB. ANY JOB. No jobs where you live? MOVE. Get a part time job while you look. Start a business. Do something other than whine. Statistics are just an intricate form of whining.

[Studebaker Hawk]

**IT HAPPENS!

 

[gnarledmaw]

Those are some good resources but...ah...

...either start your own business...

...you wouldnt be handing out seed money to all these people?

[Republic of Texas]

" Well actually "we all " do not pay taxes..all those unemployed folks will be using our taxes not putting anything in......so what do you think will happen as the tax base shrinks? "

That's another thread. One where we would probably agree.

[RnMomof7]

That's another thread. One where we would probably agree.

That is one of my fears.. I am no liberal shill..but I am very worried about how this country can survive with a deminished tax base..and an increase on the "humans services end"

[ex-snook]

Too bad McDonald is laying off. Perhaps she should check the labels in her local stores and go to the country where the jobs are now.

[Republic of Texas]

Millions of businesses have been started without handouts. Why do you think that's neccessary?

[gnarledmaw]

Im sure that between Amway and Shaklee sales that youve become a millionaire.;)

For folks who dont have money laying around, starting a real business is pretty difficult. Youre going to need what, 15%, in hand before anyone is going to even seriously consider giving you a loan? Oh, sure, there are people out there who will "help" you get started in exchange for taking control of the company and leaving you with less than you would have made working elsewhere. That just puts todays problem off until tomorrow.

Whats particularly frustrating is fighting through regulations and red tape. I know Ive come up with a number of good ideas for companies that I know would make good money but have never been able to pursue them due to government interference.

[Republic of Texas]

Actually, I know a couple of Amway millionaires. I can get you their names if you are interested. I've had a business fail also. It sucked, life goes on. My point was, why do people in this country think you need a handout to start a business? Or to look for a job? That wasn't the attitude that made this the greatest country on earth, but it will be the one that brings us down.

SOCIALISM ALWAYS FAILS.

[meyer]

Left behind by the great Republican raid on the national Treasury are folks like Karelia Escobar and Joe Bergmann, middle-aged New Yorkers who have worked most of their lives but now find themselves traveling the anxious paths of the long-term unemployed.

I missed the raid? They passed the tax cut already? Where's my muffler?

[NeoCaveman]

I think if I had to and were single, I could live on a $10 an hour job. I wouldn't be living well and I wouldn't like it one bit-but I think I could do it.

True. That is what I am doing here.