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The AP on the latest job numbers: "A wave of census layoffs cut the nation's payrolls in June for the first time in six months, while private employers added a modest number of jobs. The unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent, its lowest level in almost a year. Employers cut 125,000 jobs last month, the most since last October, the Labor Department said Friday. The loss was driven by the end of 225,000 temporary census jobs. Businesses added a net total of 83,000 workers, an improvement from May. But that's also below March and April totals."
The New York Times on the numbers: "The job loss was in line with expectations. And with the anticipated loss of hundreds of thousands of Census jobs — jobs that had accounted for almost all the growth in the labor market in May — economists were focused in particular on the change in private-sector hiring. There, the news was better but muted, with 83,000 new jobs created."
The Washington Post looks at the fragile housing economy. "After showing signs of a fledgling recovery from the worst downturn in decades, the U.S. housing market appears to be heading back toward the doldrums, as the expiration of a lucrative tax credit for buyers and increased uncertainty about the economy cause home sales to plummet. The sudden weakness in residential real estate has struck nearly every region of the country, according to recent government and industry data, driving down sales of new and previously owned homes alike in May. On Thursday, the National Association of Realtors said an index that measures sales contracts signed on existing homes plunged 30 percent in May, more than twice what analysts had forecast, to the lowest level since the group started tracking the numbers in 2001."
"President Barack Obama is announcing on Friday new Recovery Act awards aimed at creating jobs and driving economic growth. He is to be joined by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack when he speaks at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland," the AP writes.
"President Obama's program extending health care coverage to the uninsured with preexisting conditions launched Thursday -- but not in New York," The New York Daily News reports. "Officials say the delay is because Gov. Paterson chose to have the state manage the stopgap program instead of the federal Health and Human Services Department… Enrollments for those who have been without coverage for at least six months began in 21 states that accepted federal management, but results were mixed in New York and the 28 other states that chose to keep the program under local control."
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125,000 jobs lost in June.
Unemployent rate 9.5%, yeah, it's down 0.2 percentage points which I'm sure will be what the Obama admin will be touting. But, the reason it's down is because the jobs market sucks so bad 652,000 people just gave up looking for a job and are no longer counted as unemployed. Here's a thought: If Obama could make the jobs market SO BAD everyone gave up looking for a job then POOF!! zero unemployment rate and problem solved.
You're doing a heck of a job Barry.
So where is the overly vaunted private industry at in hiring more workers? Big banks and big oil and many other big businesses are making billions in profits and wasting billions in bonuses for their thieving top executives but they are not hiring to replace the millions of jobs they cut. Where are all the jobs now that the rich and greedy have gotten so much tax cut welfare that they're paying historically lowest tax rates ever? Where are all the jobs at for cutting capital gains tax rates to a mere 15%? All of those tax cut welfare lies have produced nothing in the way of increased jobs because tax cuts do not create jobs when they are given to the rich and greedy.
A paltry 83,000 jobs is a pathetic excuse for private industry and just goes to show that the "Ant" of a financial crisis that Crybaby Boehner is whining about is still kicking our Bushwhacked economic behinds. The dopes of nope are doubling down on their war against our Secular Democracy by thumbing their massive noses at the 1.4 million unemployed who already lost their unemployment benefits and the 600,000 who are going to lsoe theirs over the week off for 4th of July.
Yep 2 million people are going to slip through the cracks into becoming homeless because the dopes of nope want to destroy our economy and then falsely blame it on President Obama and the Democrats. I bet those 2 million people who the repugnant ones just screwed are going to take it out on the dopes of nope come November and rest assured many of them are repugnant ones.
Where's the "Love Thy Neighbor" feeling at evangelical christian lunatic fringers? Practice what you preach fools of a false god. I guess the evangelical christian lunatic fringers only love their neighbors if the neighbors have a job.
Kick Thy Neighbor When He's Unemployed and Down, that's the True Conservative Christian Way!
'Aight. He has been President for going on two years now. When does he take ownership? In the private sector when you are hired to take over a troubled program, you are asked to turn it around, and not blame the other guy.
Several here present their positions and even statistics aimed to sway everyone and I don’t question their intelligence but I do their ability and even their sincerity for being objective. I’m not referring just to the obvious crude and irrational few who insult by wasting people’s time with their garbage, as there are others whose presentations are more thoughtful. Those I refer to actually follow the lead of the Republican Party, using much of the scripted propaganda they provide, and aggressively undertake a persistent effort to twist, rationalize, confuse and camouflage the truth in order to support a concentrated attack on Obama and the Democrats and thus by default only, not at all by any merit, try to justify a leaning toward the Republicans. The gross dishonesty arrogantly executed without conscience and aimed to manipulate the people is disgusting. What is obvious is that from the Republican representatives themselves, including their strong overt and covert powerful supporters and the substantial subterfuge they offer, including the loud, irrational and often bazaar ranting of the likes of Limbaugh, Beck, Palin and others, including the controlled and financially supported deceptive presentation of the Tea Party Movement, to the staff and volunteers charged to dominate these websites, the whole con revolves around using scare tactics and emotional appeals to biases, prejudices and personal attachments … and never ever any answers to the problems or even to identifying a real interest in solving the problems.
As an Independent seeking honest and responsible representation and a departure from ‘more of the same’ that got us the severe problems, I’ve strived to be objective and rational in determining the best choice. There really is no doubt that none are perfect. However, there are those who do attempt to honestly and responsibly address the problems and while their efforts could use bipartisan fine tuning and adjusting, which the Republicans want no part of as they put their political ambitions above all else, the Obama administration has really neither caused nor neglected the problems (a very refreshing change). The Obama efforts seem sincere and conscientious and, with the aggressive and self-serving obnoxious attacks put aside, as being the only real hope for progress versus everything the Republicans do being aimed at returning to ‘more of the same’, to continuing being ‘puppets’ for Special Interests and the powerful, influential and extremely wealthy few who strongly support them.
My saying all of this doesn’t make it true anymore then all of what others say is true by them saying it but what I have tried to do in my postings is encourage people to be open, to use common sense and to think for themselves. I’ve personally come to the conclusion that the best hope we have, the only real hopeful option, is to hold Obama responsible for pursuing the majority’s interests and to take us forward. I believe that if people can be objective and rational, to check their biases, prejudices and emotional attachments and thereby see through the manipulative subterfuge, to refuse to be taken for granted and controlled by the deceptive efforts, most will then see that currently their best interests will be served by supporting the Democrats and never by returning to ‘more of the same’ with the Republicans. It can’t be perfect as nothing is but then it isn’t the being conned into accepting a return to continuing the downslide that could only be a catastrophe for most people.
Rgiles - I wanted to comment on your posting. I agree on some of your points. Although I'm not sure how much these blogs do to further dialog, I think it is important to talk in a rational manner and try to find common ground.
I am left wing and make no apologies for it. I thoroughly understand that without compromise and working with the GOP there will only be logjam in Congress. The last 18 months with the dozens of fillibuster votes the GOP executed are testament to that. At times trying to talk to someone on the other side quickly devolves to name calling and spouting half truths to make your side look better. I will acknowledge that both sides don't have all the answers. However, with the future of elections always put in the independent's hands, something I am jealous of, I would like to ask you how you all think.
With the two sides having diametrically opposed views on the role of government, civil liberty protections, environmental protections, taxation, corporation rights vs. the proverbial 'little guy', how does an independent make their choices during an election? You want 'honesty and responsible' and I have to admit the GOP in their latest votes are saying we are for Big corporations, we are for big banks, we will not extend unemployment. I would hope that independents as all of us should, should research how a candidate voted or what he/she believed in prior to pulling the voting lever. I would hope that they would look at what is good for the people, all people and not just what is good for their tax bracket.
Honestly, I seriously want to know.
. . . some recent articles that claim, "the # of jobs has increased," is partially due to the Census taker positions . . . There are so many phantom job listings out there . . . I know many unemployed from all walks of life that do not even get an acknowledgment when they send a resume, let alone an interview . . . is government counting job listings? Very misleading as I do believe that companies must post a certain amount of jobs . . . do they exist? . . . if they happen to be available many times these positions are filled from within anyway.
Obama is pushing this and Obama is pushing that . . . Trillions in debt, no plan, no budget, just a HUGE # thrown to the wind with Obama considering it yet another accomplishment. Do not blame Bush, nor any other President . . . find the solution . . . say honestly that it is a hard fix and that we need more time to find the solution . . . STOP PUSHING all of these bogus plans into reality and STOP BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE! If someone gets fired from a job for not performing and you are hired to take over, keep blaming the last person for your lack of success and you will most likely be shown the door, eventually . . . except if you are on Wall Street . . .