Why Is There Record Long-Term Unemployment?

[hvactec]

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Why aren’t many people who have been unemployed for more than six months able to get jobs?

Analysts say the long-term unemployment numbers now haven’t been this high since the Great Depression. Is it because they’ve become dependent on unemployment as some on the political right would say? Or is it because their skills are outdated they need training as many on the left would say?

According to new research, it’s neither.

read more Why Is There Record Long-Term Unemployment? | Here & Now

 

[editec]

Heidi Shierholz, economist at the non-profit, non-partisan Economic Policy Institute told Here & Now’s Robin Young that the underlying cause of long term unemployment is much larger. “It’s not a worker skills problem, it’s not that people are taking vacation on their UI [un-employment insurance] benefits. It’s because there is very weak demand for workers,” she said.

Yeah that's right.

Now why is there very weak demand for workers?

That's really the question, isn't it?

 

[sparky]

Richest 1 Percent Account For Nearly All Of U.S. Recovery's Gains: Report

~S~

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Heidi Shierholz, economist at the non-profit, non-partisan Economic Policy Institute told Here & Now’s Robin Young that the underlying cause of long term unemployment is much larger. “It’s not a worker skills problem, it’s not that people are taking vacation on their UI [un-employment insurance] benefits. It’s because there is very weak demand for workers,” she said.

Yeah that's right.

Now why is there very weak demand for workers?

That's really the question, isn't it?

Perhaps because this president has policies that CLOSE down companies and plants and that prevents new jobs from being brought forward. Just a thought.

 

[uscitizen]

Heidi Shierholz, economist at the non-profit, non-partisan Economic Policy Institute told Here & Now’s Robin Young that the underlying cause of long term unemployment is much larger. “It’s not a worker skills problem, it’s not that people are taking vacation on their UI [un-employment insurance] benefits. It’s because there is very weak demand for workers,” she said.

Yeah that's right.

Now why is there very weak demand for workers?

That's really the question, isn't it?

Perhaps because this president has policies that CLOSE down companies and plants and that prevents new jobs from being brought forward. Just a thought.

or companies move offshore for cheap labor?
I am sure Apples onshore manufacturing was closed down by Obama.
Ohh wait it moved offshore while Bush was in office.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Yeah that's right.

Now why is there very weak demand for workers?

That's really the question, isn't it?

Perhaps because this president has policies that CLOSE down companies and plants and that prevents new jobs from being brought forward. Just a thought.

or companies move offshore for cheap labor?
I am sure Apples onshore manufacturing was closed down by Obama.
Ohh wait it moved offshore while Bush was in office.

Remind us again how you DON"T defend Obama.

 

[uscitizen]

Perhaps because this president has policies that CLOSE down companies and plants and that prevents new jobs from being brought forward. Just a thought.

or companies move offshore for cheap labor?
I am sure Apples onshore manufacturing was closed down by Obama.
Ohh wait it moved offshore while Bush was in office.

Remind us again how you DON"T defend Obama.

that is not defending Obama.
I was just pointing out how you attack Obama for the stuff that happened under your beloved Bush's watch.
Obama has carried on with most of the same principles Bush had. They both suck.
I just like pointing out partisan hypocrisy.

Do you deny that lots of jobs were offshored under Bush's watch too?

More than under Obama's watch so far I would think.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

or companies move offshore for cheap labor?
I am sure Apples onshore manufacturing was closed down by Obama.
Ohh wait it moved offshore while Bush was in office.

Remind us again how you DON"T defend Obama.

that is not defending Obama.
I was just pointing out how you attack Obama for the stuff that happened under your beloved Bush's watch.
Obama has carried on with most of the same principles Bush had. They both suck.
I just like pointing out partisan hypocrisy.

Do you deny that lots of jobs were offshored under Bush's watch too?

Wrong as usual, Bush did not sign a statement that would close down over 100 power plants and effect the coal industry. Bush did not shut down twice a pipe line that would bring in 20000 long term jobs. And until the dems took over Congress Bush had what is legally described as FULL employment. Bush tried to stop the Housing collapse as well and was defeated twice by Democrats one of whom went on national TV just a month or two before the collapse and INSISTED that the only danger to the Housing market was more regulations.

Bush did not propose increasing taxes on corporations to force them out of business and out of the Country either. Obama has.

Quit defending Obama or admit you do it.

 

[dilloduck]

America obviously doesn't need people to actually do a job. It just needs it's citizens to have some money to spend to complete the cycle.

 

[uscitizen]

Remind us again how you DON"T defend Obama.

that is not defending Obama.
I was just pointing out how you attack Obama for the stuff that happened under your beloved Bush's watch.
Obama has carried on with most of the same principles Bush had. They both suck.
I just like pointing out partisan hypocrisy.

Do you deny that lots of jobs were offshored under Bush's watch too?

Wrong as usual, Bush did not sign a statement that would close down over 100 power plants and effect the coal industry. Bush did not shut down twice a pipe line that would bring in 20000 long term jobs. And until the dems took over Congress Bush had what is legally described as FULL employment. Bush tried to stop the Housing collapse as well and was defeated twice by Democrats one of whom went on national TV just a month or two before the collapse and INSISTED that the only danger to the Housing market was more regulations.

Bush did not propose increasing taxes on corporations to force them out of business and out of the Country either. Obama has.

Quit defending Obama or admit you do it.

I pity you.
You are a victim of your conservative brain structure.

All your things are might have been or might be items.

 

[KevinWestern]

or companies move offshore for cheap labor?
I am sure Apples onshore manufacturing was closed down by Obama.
Ohh wait it moved offshore while Bush was in office.

Steve Jobs says he moved iPhone manufacturing to China because:

1.) Chinese laborers are able to mobilize much more quickly than US laborers, and can react to last minute changes to apple products (ie you can recruit 8,000 workers in a matter of hours at 2am if need be).

2.) A much larger pool of "mid-skill" level employees in China vs America. Our US education system is evidently leaving some gaps.

The reason Apple moved abroad is not the fault of Obama or Bush directly, but more so the collective failure of maybe the past two or three generations of ruling Americans who have failed to teach our young people that there's no shame in working with your hands, or learning a useful technical skill; instead, they have largely perpetuated the idea (with good intention, however) that "everyone needs to go to college", which I think is a much too simplistic way of thinking.

I will add though, it's my opinion that the education approach of both Bush and Obama continue us down this wrong path.

 

[uscitizen]

(ie you can recruit 8,000 workers in a matter of hours at 2am if need be).

Also why they have suicide nets at the plant in China?

And I am sure the cheaper labor had nothing to do with Apple moving the production to China?

 

[KevinWestern]

(ie you can recruit 8,000 workers in a matter of hours at 2am if need be).

Also why they have suicide nets at the plant in China?

And I am sure the cheaper labor had nothing to do with Apple moving the production to China?

I'm not saying the working conditions are better in China, they're not. I'm very happy to be in the United States.

My point was that they're stunningly more competitive in more than one aspect, and that we need to wake up as a country so that we can ensure ourselves to remain on top for the long term (especially when China's economy is to be double the size of the US economy about 2040ish).

Regarding cheaper labor - I think of course it has something to do with it, but I think labor costs are much less important when it comes to a product like an iPhone that runs you $600 new. Why? Because labor for the iPhone might come out to (just a made up number) $20/phone, vs maybe $30 in the US; but at a $600 price point, the extra ten is not that big of a deal.

But if you make batteries or socks and the finished product retails at only $3, then the extra $5 or $10 in labor costs will have a much greater adverse impact.

 

[Douger]

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Why aren’t many people who have been unemployed for more than six months able to get jobs?

Analysts say the long-term unemployment numbers now haven’t been this high since the Great Depression. Is it because they’ve become dependent on unemployment as some on the political right would say? Or is it because their skills are outdated they need training as many on the left would say?

According to new research, it’s neither.

read more Why Is There Record Long-Term Unemployment? | Here & Now

Because Gawd Blastes murka ?

 

[sparky]

Hello. First time poster here.

I just read a thread that started with a 'U' curve graph that painted a rosy picture about the unemployment numbers. It looked great. The thread was titled something like 'The best upturn in employment since 1984'. That sounds great too.

This is what I'm seeing...and I'm on the front lines of the unemployment problem....which means that I'm unemployed too. Thank goodness that I've only been out of work for just under a year instead of so many people I know that have been out for 3 years or so. I was laid off from a Computer Aided Design tech position and I had no choice but to file for UI. I've been beating the heck out of job ads, job fairs, resume and interview classes etc. I've been doing self study (for months) on a Computer Aided design program that I want to test for this week in the hopes of getting an entry level job with it. Just last Tuesday I was at a job fair (in Everett,WA) for local manufacturers. There must have been 300+ people there. There was only 10 employers. It was like black Friday at Walmart. You could feel the tension and anxiety....in the air. The depressed expressions on good peoples' faces was obvious. 300 people, 10 employers....

Last week (Monday) I got a letter from the State of Washington telling me that I had benefits that would definitely expire this August. A phone call confirmed it. I thought 'ok, i can breathe at least that much longer if i have to'. TWO DAYS LATER I called to make absolutely sure the information was accurate. I was then told that the feds canceled the program and that I had only TWO WEEKS of benefits left. I'm panicking. I cant survive working a fast food job making 1/4 of my prevailing wage. I'd loose everything....including my mind. I'm 43 years old with good work history.


There are going to be many, many families that are in the same boat. We all feel like the rug was just yanked from under us.

In 2002 the unemployment in Washington State was 8% and that was terrible. I'm used to it being about 3-4% here. Today they're saying 8.3% like its a good thing?

I'm asking anyone who could help....please, please, please...if there is any way to get an 11th hour reconsideration to keep benefits in place like I was originally told....just another 5months....I'd have that much more of a chance to get a job that I'm trained in.

I've emailed my Senators. If anyone has any suggestions of what could be done from a citizen stand point, please let me know.

Thank you. PP

sad commetary on the times we live in PP

what's even sader are those who've bought into corporatisms canard about Americans not really wanting to work, and would rather sit around collecting

~S~

 

[editec]

“It’s not a worker skills problem, it’s not that people are taking vacation on their UI [un-employment insurance] benefits. It’s because there is very weak demand for workers,” she said.

Her grasp of the obvious is firm.

And while it may seem obvious to most of us, there are mentally challenged folk who think the cause of unemployment is unemployment insurance.

 

[sparky]

“It’s not a worker skills problem, it’s not that people are taking vacation on their UI [un-employment insurance] benefits. It’s because there is very weak demand for workers,” she said.

Her grasp of the obvious is firm.

And while it may seem obvious to most of us, there are mentally challenged folk who think the cause of unemployment is unemployment insurance.

enough so that it's an electable force>
Michele Bachmann Thinks People 'Choose' To Not Have Health Insurance, Not Because They Can't Afford It | ThinkProgress

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) as one of the loudest critics. After the last day of Supreme Court hearings about the health care reform law, Bachmann told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that people are uninsured not because they can’t afford insurance, but because they simply choose to be uninsured

~S~

 

[pinqy]

“It’s not a worker skills problem, it’s not that people are taking vacation on their UI [un-employment insurance] benefits. It’s because there is very weak demand for workers,” she said.

Her grasp of the obvious is firm.

And while it may seem obvious to most of us, there are mentally challenged folk who think the cause of unemployment is unemployment insurance.

enough so that it's an electable force>
Michele Bachmann Thinks People 'Choose' To Not Have Health Insurance, Not Because They Can't Afford It | ThinkProgress

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) as one of the loudest critics. After the last day of Supreme Court hearings about the health care reform law, Bachmann told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that people are uninsured not because they can’t afford insurance, but because they simply choose to be uninsured

~S~

In 2010, 63% of full time employees in large and medium establishments chose to participate in available health insurance. 42% in small establishments. This does include those not participating being they're not yet vested. Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute

So much as I hate to say it, Ms. Bachmann is not far off.

 

[Widdekind]

Steve Jobs says he moved iPhone manufacturing to China because:

1.) Chinese laborers are able to mobilize much more quickly than US laborers, and can react to last minute changes to apple products (ie you can recruit 8,000 workers in a matter of hours at 2am if need be).

2.) A much larger pool of "mid-skill" level employees in China vs America. Our US education system is evidently leaving some gaps.

the article alleges "low demand for labor". Such is too general, obfuscating the specific fact of "low demand for [US] labor" -- i.e. US labor is not economically desirable, by price (minimum wages), skills (mid-level), etc.

US labor will "wait around until the economic environment favors them again"; or "adapt & change to the new economic environment"; or "go extinct". Evolution comparisons are valid. Anything that helps US labor be more economically "adaptable" would be a positive economic contribution.

(Perhaps willing workers could be employed, at Minimum Wage; work full-time in reality; work part-time "officially" ?)

 

[Nova78]

Why Is There Record Long-Term Unemployment

OBAMA