Real unemployment %

[irishfan]

Job creation is a ridiculous term when you think about how it has been used throughout the years. Each administration justifies their success by the millions of jobs they have created but fail to mention the millions of jobs that have been lost in the same time. Also, the majority of the jobs "created" are under $14 and the jobs lost were $18+ most of the time. Finally, in the end NAFTA and other agreements of the same idea are just a redistribution of wealth from America to the countries that surround us and not a plan that will help America grow.

 

[gund]

I wouldn't bet my life on it. But I'm pretty sure there's nothing Obama can do to cause real unemployment numbers to jump from 10% to 30%. He's not God. His actions don't filter down to businesses that fast.

Of course you could argue that it was 10% in January 2009, and in one year of mismanagement he has increased it to 30%. But has kept it officially at 10% by lying.

But 20% more people out of work and looking for work is quite hard to keep a lid on. That's 60,000,000 new people trying to stay afloat in a year (if the percentage is of the total population).

In the end I think the problem is both on the government and the people. Unfortunately the government is easier to fix (relatively easier). You can't change people. You can't just make them hardworking or accepting of lower pay to compete in a global economy. It's a lot easier to blame the government, make the government pay subsidies to farmers and big business, make the government impose tariffs and protectionism, make them dole out welfare, health care, and create more jobs with borrowed money, than to change people.

Years of coddling kids and snowflakes and farking up proper parental guidance and the education system isn't easily reversible. Actually with the current political infrastructure, it's basically irreverisble. It's a slow march towards a breaking point. Unfortunately, I probably won't get to see it in my lifetime. It's a really slow march.

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

Gund - I agree totally on one point and totally disagree on another... so please, bear with me...

I wouldn't bet my life on it. But I'm pretty sure there's nothing Obama can do to cause real unemployment numbers to jump from 10% to 30%. He's not God. His actions don't filter down to businesses that fast.

iguana errrrrr.... I respectfully disagree...

Government cannot GROW jobs, but they can sure as Hades _kill_ them. Perhaps Obama himself cannot, but with the help of Pelosi and Reid? Absofreakinglutely.

The BEST thing that the Gubbamint can do is lower the barriers and get the hell out of the way. For the record, the current administration isn't exactly doing that. The prior administration wasn't great in that department either - but they pale beside the current administration... (maybe that was a poor choice of words - the liberals will insist I'm a racist pig now... and I didn't even mean it...)

And all it takes is the THREAT of litigation or liability or overregulation or pay czars or .... boom - my plans to employ folks changed. Just like that!
Any employer worth their salt will tell you that they change their operations to suit the conditions. And a THREAT == conditions!

In the end I think the problem is both on the government and the people. Unfortunately the government is easier to fix (relatively easier). You can't change people. You can't just make them hardworking or accepting of lower pay to compete in a global economy. It's a lot easier to blame the government, make the government pay subsidies to farmers and big business, make the government impose tariffs and protectionism, make them dole out welfare, health care, and create more jobs with borrowed money, than to change people.

Years of coddling kids and snowflakes and farking up proper parental guidance and the education system isn't easily reversible. Actually with the current political infrastructure, it's basically irreverisble. It's a slow march towards a breaking point. Unfortunately, I probably won't get to see it in my lifetime. It's a really slow march.

This I totally agree with. What's needed is simple straight up honesty. Now I haven't seen that out of a politician in a LONG time. I agree that we're going to have to go through some hard times and compete with Babjit over in Pakistan or wherever. In my business, we've been doing it for years.

What it going to take is some simple medicine. Build stuff people want to buy. Better yet NEED to buy. Deliver service that makes a difference. And if you work for The Man, remember that the sum of what your efforts produce has to be more than equal to the money it costs to employ you. That may get out of balance for awhile - see the public sector for an example... but it always HAS to revert to the mean sooner or later.

 

[jeremy]

It's actually pretty easy to massage the numbers to get the percentages you are looking for...