Jobless rate now at 9.8%

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   habeeposted 13 years ago

   I was hoping with the Christmas season, the jobless rate would improve. More than 28,000 retail jobs were lost in November, but according to the article, some people who might have been hired late in the month might not be showing up in the numbers yet. Here's hoping to a better December!
   
   http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_usa_econo … 9sbHNpbm5v

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      Home Girlposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My heart goes to all people who are penniless and homeless in December in our harsh climate. It's so cold to be on a street!
      Terrible.
      
      
      

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      1. 92

         habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. I feel so sorry for the kids who won't have Christmas this year, not to mention all those lacking adequate clothing, a warm place to live, and proper food.
         
         Our private club provides food baskets every year, in addition to a huge Christmas party for needy kids and parents, with a meal, entertainment, Santa, and toys. Several years ago, we had only about 50 families participate. That number has increased every year. I think last year it was around 200. I wonder how big it will be this year...

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2. 60

   Evan G Rogersposted 13 years ago

   The real unemployment rate is much higher. Many of those considered employed are only considered such because the definition of "employed" was redifined.

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3. 56

   C.J. Wrightposted 13 years ago

   This administration/congress missed a GOLDEN opportunity to speed the road to recovery. When the bailout money was handed out, it should have required the manufacturing jobs to return to the USA.

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      Dorothee-Gyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Couldn't agree more! Pouring money with practically no strings attached and no real plan into raging fires is like giving your chronically bankrupted child your credit cards in the hope that one day, you'll get your money back... Good luck on that one!
      
      Good for those who decided to do it that someone else (the taxpayers) had to pay the bill...

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         EPmanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         YEP!

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4. 96

   Dolores Monetposted 13 years ago

   And here I thought that lower taxes for the wealthy was supposed to create more jobs, not less.

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      C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Not under our current situation. If you remember this summer, journalist were using the term "Jobless Recovery". There is no base for job recovery. Jobs have been bleeding out of this country since NAFTA. People have been living on credit, sooner or later it had to come to a head.

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         EPmanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         precisely

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5. 0

   awesome77posted 13 years ago

   It is a shame, for if only humans will take the time to help each other, the sufferings we see will be vanquished!
   
   Do you know all governments in the world spend more money on weapons than on food, education and infrastructure combined!
   
   Why do we need so many killing machines, when we should be building helping machines?

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      EPmanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      In a free-market, people would be helping each other if they focused on helping themselves!
      
      And I totally agree with you. The spending on military is out of control and unsustainable if we want to avoid our own demise.

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6. 85

   rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

   have you ever seen this site? it gives the cost of war. I'm not sure how they collect their statistics, but it's figures I can't get my head around. planet earth must look strange from outer space, like a bunch of crazy little plastic army men playing war. http://costofwar.com/ 
   
   
   long-term unemployed need to keep their skills sharp or take classes, volunteer, freelance, take a low paying job if you can get hired, use temp. agencies,anything to keep productive or it will be harder to land a job. add it to your resume. employers don't like to see that huge gap in employment. of course, many can't even get hired to low paying jobs because of being over-qualified.

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7. 0

   Home Girlposted 13 years ago

   Long-term unemployed are used to being unemployed. They cannot hold a job that is too demanding and too low paid. They don't have enough energy to do that. it's all interconnected. Low money - bad food - bad living conditions - low energy - bad/no motivation - start all over again - low money - etc.
   Tomorrow (Saturday)I have to get up at 5 am and spent 2 hours in a cold morning outside in order to get to my second job. Believe me, I need a lot of motivation to do that! Just to sustain me and my family. But I am used to it. What about people who physically cannot do that? Should they starve?

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8. 85

   rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

   I guess I should have clarified more what I meant, those who have now been laid off for more than a year, not necessarily those who are continually unemployed.
   I'm referring to able bodied, skilled workers who have lost their jobs because of the recession. They could easily fall into a slump where skills begin to dull.
   
   Those who physically can't do it? no, I don't believe they should starve. I feel bad for people who have little resources or family to assist them.  I don't think the answers are as easy as some seem to think.
   
   you should be admired for your work ethic and sense of responsibility.

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   Evan G Rogersposted 13 years ago

   idiotic gov't idea no. 1: "Let's spend a lot of money!" ==> bigger deficit and a temporary boom followed by a bust
   
   Idiotic gov't idea no. 2: "let's create money out of nowhere!!" ==> same thing.
   
   Idiotic gov't idea no. 3: "let's change the definition of unemployment"  ==> a change in the numbers, which let's the gov't officials say they helped everyone, then they can continue to spend your money for their benefit.
   
   wake up people.

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