And once again we see conservatives wishing their fellow Americans continue to suffer so the right might realize some perceived political gain.
Very sad and telling.
it sure is....
Jobs Expected to Continue to Lag Economy
by EDUARDO PORTER
Published: February 24, 2004
Job growth is likely to remain tepid even as the economy moves ahead, according to a survey of professional forecasters by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Indeed, the bank said yesterday, the economists' outlook for employment has grown gloomier even as their predictions of economic expansion are becoming more robust.
The 32 economists polled by the Philadelphia Fed, drawn from private business and academia, increased their forecast for economic growth this year to 4.6 percent, on average, from a previous projection of 4.3 percent. Yet at the same time, they trimmed their 2004 forecast of job creation to 1.1 million jobs, from 1.25 million.
Economists have been puzzled for months by the sluggishness of the employment market. The new forecast suggests that they have come to terms with the pattern established in this recovery: fast economic growth being driven by even faster expansion in productivity, with businesses meeting demand by squeezing more output from their current employees instead of hiring more workers.
Mr. Glassman estimated that the nation's output needs to grow some 5 percent a year for several years if the economy is to create jobs for the 2.5 million people who have lost employment since the start of 2001 as well as absorb new workers coming into the job market.
Jobs Expected to Continue to Lag Economy - NYTimes.com
or...
No More Excuses on Jobs
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: March 12, 2004
As job growth continues to elude the U.S. economy, we're hearing two main excuses from the Bush administration and its supporters: that the real situation is much better than you're hearing, and that to the extent employment is lagging, it's the result of factors outside the administration's control. But after three years of extravagant promises and dismal results, the time for excuses has passed.
more at-
No More Excuses on Jobs - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com
heres Krugman bitching about the Bush bls and the workforce calculations;
And even the less reliable household survey paints a bleak picture of an economy in which jobs have lagged far behind population growth. The fraction of adults who say they are employed fell steeply between early 2001 and the summer of 2003, and has stagnated since then.
But wait -- hasn't the unemployment rate fallen since last summer? Yes, but that's entirely the result of people dropping out of the labor force. Even if you're out of work, you're not counted as unemployed unless you're actively looking for a job.
here-
2004- jan 5.7 feb 5.6 march 5.8 april 5.6 may 5.6 june 5.6 july 5.5 august 5.4 sept. 5.4 oct. 5.5 nov. 5.4 dec. 5.4
I could posts literally dozens like this in an unemployment environment under 5 and 6%......
I know I'll have to repeat this like a hundred times, but I am patient and cyber ink is cheap.