On the PBS roundtable show The McLaughlin Group, host John McLaughlin commented that the Mexican government put the unemployment figure at between 7% and 8%, but that the CIA puts the figure closer to 25%. Until the CIA comes out with solid data about US unemployment, I won't base my opinions on the official figures.
Re: Difficult time to be looking for work
Noreen Seebacher
12/10/2011 11:15:02 PM
As much as I'd like to think families could survive on a single salary, it seems like most I know are struggling to survive on two smaller ones -- and both partners may also be working part-time.
Re: Difficult time to be looking for work
back2basicz
12/10/2011 12:14:30 PM
Sherri,
You raise good points here but with the Cost of Living being what it is in America today[It is not trending down] as well as cost of Education and Healthcare still being very much on the rise,I am not sure how a dual-income household can survive switching suddenly to a Single-Income Household.
After all,getting a raise in today's economy is close to impossible today so we can rule that option out for more than most people out there in the Job market.
Regards
Ashish.
Re: Quality of the jobs
AskAsa
12/10/2011 8:13:35 AM
I agree - statistics notwithstanding the real world anecdotal stories show that getting a reasonably good job remains difficult in most parts of the country -- for positions outside of science/math/healthcare
@Predictable-Glad it clarified your questions
Tokyogai,
If GDP growth exceeds the population growth, then the picture is improving for the average person or family.
My sense is that, despite what the numbers say, things are not getting much better, if at all. I say this based on anecdotal information - people I know who are looking find it difficult. People I know who are hiring find it easier than usual to find good candidates.
PS - thanks for the link Noreen. That helped.
Quality of the jobs
tokyogai
12/9/2011 4:47:34 PM
While the numbers are important, the quality is more important. Replacing a high paying tech job with a cashier at Walmart really makes a huge difference, but both count equally in the numbers. We should also have a way to assess the job quality.
Re: Difficult time to be looking for work
Scott Raynovich
12/9/2011 4:21:46 PM
I haven't looked them up recently but I wonder how much construction jobs are weighing on employement (and the overall economy). As I recall, the loss in construction jobs was huge. I have several people I know (contracters, e.t.c.) who were directly, in fact many of them had to move or find entirely new careers.
If residential construction ever bounces back that will go a long way to easing the employment and economic pain.
Re: Difficult time to be looking for work
Sherri Cruz
12/9/2011 2:42:58 PM
I was wondering the same thing. When I asked Chris, he said it's helpful to have more people in the labor pool -- when more people are working, society is more productive. But I wonder too, if it might be beneficial in another sense -- quality of life -- to have fewer people in the labor pool. One example, either parent could stay home with the kids, at least for a time, and families could live on one income. But that would mean the need for higher wages and the desire for less stuff.
Yes that's a good point. The quantity of people employed is one thing, but the quality of that employment is quite another. Many people I know are working for fractional amounts of former salaries, which means they will not sustain their lifestyles indefinitely. Rather, they say they are waiting it out until the housing market improves so they can sell, relocate and regroup.
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