Look at this unemployment map

[Toad310]

http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/la ... final.html

[Donut]

Holy... I wonder how the rest of the world is doing.

[HistoricalMan]

Holy... I wonder how the rest of the world is doing.

I'm originally from the UK, and unemployment is at about 7.8% right now.

[ChrisR]

I read a while ago that America was particularly bad for lay-offs after the recession - American businesses laid-off staff very quickly as soon as the problems hit. In contrast, over in Germany their unemployment rate is hardly higher than it was before, mainly because big businesses were encouraged to keep staff to avoid the double costs of redundancy & then having to train new staff when the recession passed. I think the UK is a bit in between - the mood seems to be for holding onto staff but quite a few businesses have folded and I dont' see a lot of new job opportunities opening up yet

[clovisc]

the way this presentation is set up seems intended to promote panic or sensationalism.

anyone who works with issues of unemployment and economic development will tell you that the lump "unemployment" percentage is not the best measure of employment climate, or economic health. especially if it is being measured by a CPS, or even worse, people filing for unemployment insurance.

[Sequimite]

I'm originally from the UK, and unemployment is at about 7.8% right now.

Wow, I had no idea the the employment situation had improved this much. I remember a decade or so ago reading in the Economist about the persistent 12% unemployment rate.

[JD Spydo]

I've personally been unemployed full time since last year ( only getting occasional odd jobs and part time jobs ). Normally where I live at here in the Kansas City MO area is normally economically diverse and the area seemed to be resilient to recessions in past years. However the demographics and the job climate have both changed dramatically here in the past 2 to 3 years.

This is the first time I've had an employment problem since the 80s. I have 2 very good friends who are both college graduates and one with a Master's Degree who both just can't find work at this time.

The last job I applied for and thought I had a chance to get was a maintenance job in a high rise hotel here in KC. I was told by their Dept of HR that the job had been filled. I asked them to keep my resume on file. The lady told me that they had 218 people apply for that one job. It's almost like winning a lottery scratch-off ticket to get any kind of a fairly decent job here in KC at this time.

I don't give a hang about what these government numbers and statistics say. Because out here in the real world it's much worse than people are being told. I wouldn't be surprised if the real unemployment rates are somewhere around 20% to 24%. It seems like about everyone I'm talking to are on some kind of government assistance. And most of these people had a job less than a year ago. I guess it's hard to see the real truth unless you are in the middle of it

[Donut]

When a quarter of the country is over 10%, they really need to have categories broken down some more for the 10%+.

[Tank]

I've been unemployed now for just over a year. It's very scary. California is at 12.5% and where I live its just over 13%.

[Toad310]

I've personally been unemployed full time since last year ( only getting occasional odd jobs and part time jobs ). Normally where I live at here in the Kansas City MO area is normally economically diverse and the area seemed to be resilient to recessions in past years. However the demographics and the job climate have both changed dramatically here in the past 2 to 3 years.

This is the first time I've had an employment problem since the 80s. I have 2 very good friends who are both college graduates and one with a Master's Degree who both just can't find work at this time.

The last job I applied for and thought I had a chance to get was a maintenance job in a high rise hotel here in KC. I was told by their Dept of HR that the job had been filled. I asked them to keep my resume on file. The lady told me that they had 218 people apply for that one job. It's almost like winning a lottery scratch-off ticket to get any kind of a fairly decent job here in KC at this time.

I don't give a hang about what these government numbers and statistics say. Because out here in the real world it's much worse than people are being told. I wouldn't be surprised if the real unemployment rates are somewhere around 20% to 24%. It seems like about everyone I'm talking to are on some kind of government assistance. And most of these people had a job less than a year ago. I guess it's hard to see the real truth unless you are in the middle of it

JD,

Sorry to hear of your hard times. I feel sorry for all the hard working Americans who cannot find work.

I agree with you 100% that the figures are not accurate at all. This entire recession is much worse than is being reported.

I just posted this because it was kind of scary, hope I did not hurt those who are having hard times. We are all in this together, and I find people helping each other is good.

If I made anyone more bummed, I'm sorry. Hey, I am worried myself. As a small business owner, you never know what can happen.

[sarguy]

JD,

Sorry to hear of your hard times. I feel sorry for all the hard working Americans who cannot find work.

I agree with you 100% that the figures are not accurate at all. This entire recession is much worse than is being reported.

I just posted this because it was kind of scary, hope I did not hurt those who are having hard times. We are all in this together, and I find people helping each other is good.

If I made anyone more bummed, I'm sorry. Hey, I am worried myself. As a small business owner, you never know what can happen.

I can't source this and it may well be untrue, but some talking head on some news channel pointed out that people who were "no longer actively seeking employment" were not counted in the unemployment percentages (a quick look at the bls.gov website seems to confirm this). If we were, the figures would run at17%. I would imagine that numbers like that would cause even more discontent than there already is.

A few months ago we had someone come to our door claiming to have been laid off and was making ends meet by doing yard work. He quoted a fair price, did good work, and I was happy to help him out. He returned to do some spring work for us and we talked a bit. Turns out he's doing almost as well as at his old job, but he gets to make his own hours and is his own boss. I'm not saying that's the solution for everyone, but I think it shows that there is hope to be found (or made). :)

[psychophipps]

The stats are screwy and far from reliable in this regard. If anything, the info on these charts is candy-coating things quite a bit.

[BW_BW]

I can't source this and it may well be untrue, but some talking head on some news channel pointed out that people who were "no longer actively seeking employment" were not counted in the unemployment percentages (a quick look at the bls.gov website seems to confirm this).

That's correct. They are called "discouraged workers". When you stop looking for work you are no longer unemployed. It's my recollection that the bar for "actively seeking employment" is fairly low (and not the same as what is require to collect unemployment insurance) - if you drop off a resume at KFC or ask your uncle if he knows anyone who's hiring, that's usually good enough.

The Labor Force Participation Rate tells you what percentage of the working age population is in the labor force (employed + unemployed). Looking at the graph, I can tell you that, while the participation rate is down from 2000, it's way up from 1950

[2cha]

I can't source this and it may well be untrue, but some talking head on some news channel pointed out that people who were "no longer actively seeking employment" were not counted in the unemployment percentages (a quick look at the bls.gov website seems to confirm this). If we were, the figures would run at17%. I would imagine that numbers like that would cause even more discontent than there already is.

Strange, I guess it's what I read or watch, but I usually hear/read about the unemployment rate coupled with discouraged/underemployed rate you quoted second above. My mother and her "husband" are on the verge of losing their home without help. They are self employed artists/craftspeople--they don't make a living doing their art, but rather doing casting/molds ofor ornate restoration projects. Much of the kind of work they did to bring some meager resemblance of financial stability to their lives is now done in China. To my knowledge, they take no gov/insurance money so wouldn't show up in any category. The impact of the recession is truly tragic to behold. I don't believe there is much use in playing the blame game, but as I saw the kind of craft they do increasingly outsourced, it sure made me question even more strongly the ease with which most of us were willing to sacrifice our neighbors' and family members' jobs so we could own more of less expensive foreign products.

[JD Spydo]

JD,

Sorry to hear of your hard times. I feel sorry for all the hard working Americans who cannot find work.

I agree with you 100% that the figures are not accurate at all. This entire recession is much worse than is being reported.

I just posted this because it was kind of scary, hope I did not hurt those who are having hard times. We are all in this together, and I find people helping each other is good.

If I made anyone more bummed, I'm sorry. Hey, I am worried myself. As a small business owner, you never know what can happen.

Well "Toad310" thank you for your kind words. It was only 2 years ago I was turning down a lot of work. A lot of the older people I was doing odd job work for are all now running scared and won't let loose of a dime for the most part. I know that I will get through this OK. I have just about got all my loose ends tied up so I can go down to the Ozarks to live in a friend's deer hunting cabin that he desperately want's fixed up. And it may be just what the GOOD LORD has in mind for me at this time.

I've written so many resumes and coverletters that I truly believe I could get a good start wallpapering the Grand Canyon :eek: :o What really burns me is all the schooling I took for almost 6 years at nights and it's doing me no good what so ever.

I just mainly want everyone to know that there is a lot of really twisted "disinformation" out there at this time. 3 of the biggest liars on the planet at this time are Weather Forecasters, Commissioned Sales People and these government goons who compile all of these unemployment numbers :mad:

[gull wing]

Unemployment is up but not double digit.
Is this the "Hope and change" we were promised?

[2cha]

Unemployment is up but not double digit.
Is this the "Hope and change" we were promised?

I find that its always harder and takes longer to clean up somebody else's mess

[D1omedes]

I find that its always harder and takes longer to clean up somebody else's mess

It's also very easy to keep claiming it's someone else's mess while you do nothing.

[JD Spydo]

It's also very easy to keep claiming it's someone else's mess while you do nothing.

While I do nothing???? :confused: What else am I supposed to do for crying out loud!!!??? :mad:

When you got a bunch of corporately owned politicians running the country like a carnival game what the **** is a guy like me supposed to be doing about it???

Hey I've voted in every election since I turned 18 and I worked on Perot's presidential campaign in 92 for almost 6 months only to see that the system is rigged like Vince McMahon's WWE TV Wrestling :mad:

And when our dear leadership is giving tax breaks to multi-national corporations to eliminate jobs here in the USA only to set them up in other countries >> then I respectfully ask you Sir what the **** am I "JD" supposed to do about that???

For your information Sir I've gone to a couple of these Tea Party gigs that I'm convinced are infiltrated. I've written letters to congressmen/women and US Senators.

With all due respect Sir what the **** else can I or other common citizens like me supposed to do when the country has been hijacked by a cabal of corporate criminals???

I don't mean to sound "mean spirited" Sir but I've done a lot over the years with absolutely nothing to show for it. I'm all ears if you or anyone else here in Spyderville have any real life answers

[Lord vader]

While I do nothing???? :confused: What else am I supposed to do for crying out loud!!!??? :mad:

When you got a bunch of corporately owned politicians running the country like a carnival game what the **** is a guy like me supposed to be doing about it???

Hey I've voted in every election since I turned 18 and I worked on Perot's presidential campaign in 92 for almost 6 months only to see that the system is rigged like Vince McMahon's WWE TV Wrestling :mad:

And when our dear leadership is giving tax breaks to multi-national corporations to eliminate jobs here in the USA only to set them up in other countries >> then I respectfully ask you Sir what the **** am I "JD" supposed to do about that???

For your information Sir I've gone to a couple of these Tea Party gigs that I'm convinced are infiltrated. I've written letters to congressmen/women and US Senators.

With all due respect Sir what the **** else can I or other common citizens like me supposed to do when the country has been hijacked by a cabal of corporate criminals???

I don't mean to sound "mean spirited" Sir but I've done a lot over the years with absolutely nothing to show for it. I'm all ears if you or anyone else here in Spyderville have any real life answers

+1 I could not say it any better.