[theBeemer]

Really with the low miles and fuel prices outrages we need 8 more years of it..By then we just might be the United States of China. Keep up the good work guys. Look how great we are all doing and how much better off the economy is.They got my vote. This is great am I wrong wanting eight more years of Bush senior I meant McCain? There is always fast food and Walmart to work at and raise a family

Monday, September 1, 2008
Report Card: Workers worse off on pay, employment
NEW YORK -- This Labor Day finds workers in worse shape than they've been in years, according to a scorecard released Monday by Rutgers University.

In its first national labor scorecard, the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations said more than 10 percent of Americans are unemployed, discouraged from seeking work or underemployed. That is a nearly 25-percent increase from one year earlier.

Professor Douglas Kruse, a labor economist who created the scorecard, said a sharp decline in the number of Americans able to find full-time jobs, along with growing consumer debt and health care costs, were causes for concern.


"But there are some bright spots long term," Kruse said, including improvements in workplace safety, a small but growing percentage of employers offering support for childcare and employee wellness programs, and more Americans who are completely satisfied with their jobs.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department last week said the number of people signing up for jobless benefits declined for the third straight period, but remained above 400,000 -- an indicator of a slowing economy.

The Rutgers labor scorecard offered other sobering findings:

-- About 530,000 were subject to mass layoffs in the last year, growth of nearly 5 percent, but a lower rate than five and 10 years ago.

-- The median weekly earnings for American workers have not grown in real terms over the last eight years.

-- At $6.55, the federal minimum wage is worth 40 cents less per hour, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than it was a decade ago.

-- While employer-assisted childcare and employee wellness programs have grown quickly over the last decade, they still cover less than one quarter of American workers.

-- Roughly 4 percent of the workforce wants to work full-time, but is working part time because they can't find full-time work.

The scorecard, which doesn't assign grades but charts whether indicators are improving or getting worse, is based primarily on data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

AP-CS-08-31-08 1414EDT

[arkjarhead]

Unemployment rates don't really mean much to me anymore. You can go up to Michigan and hear guys crying about not being able to find work. Then ask them if they have any welding experience and one or two will say yes they have worked for x amount of years as a welder. Then you tell them there are plenty of jobs on the Natural Gas Pipeline in Arkansas and working in the oil industry in the Gulf Coast states and out west in places like Wyoming. All the sudden they don't want to move, and this and that excuse. What it really boils down to is they don't want to work. The state is taking care of them so why bother moving to find work? See why I don't trust the unemployment rates? A lot of unemployed people could be employed if they had a little more get up and go.

[greg334]

Originally Posted by arkjarhead

Unemployment rates don't really mean much to me anymore. You can go up to Michigan and hear guys crying about not being able to find work. Then ask them if they have any welding experience and one or two will say yes they have worked for x amount of years as a welder. Then you tell them there are plenty of jobs on the Natural Gas Pipeline in Arkansas and working in the oil industry in the Gulf Coast states and out west in places like Wyoming. All the sudden they don't want to move, and this and that excuse. What it really boils down to is they don't want to work. The state is taking care of them so why bother moving to find work? See why I don't trust the unemployment rates? A lot of unemployed people could be employed if they had a little more get up and go.

Ark,
The problem is not that they don't want to move, they can't afford to move. I am in the situation where I was offered a job in Texas but in order for me to sell my house, I have to come up with $15k to get rid of it. Because there is no signing bonus offered, I sit here. Even if I lived down there, I can't rent this place out, and with duplicate expenses, it is better for me to stay in the truck.

The job market here is non-existent, most of the inward movement are companies who already have a target workforce that eliminates most of the indigent people, so we loss before we could apply.

As for 8 more years of Bush, learn what the dems have done first and then look at McCain's performance in relation to the bills he has sponsored and pushed through. If you don't want more unemployment and better working conditions, then don't vote for Obama.

[theBeemer]

Originally Posted by greg334

Ark,
The problem is not that they don't want to move, they can't afford to move. I am in the situation where I was offered a job in Texas but in order for me to sell my house, I have to come up with $15k to get rid of it. Because there is no signing bonus offered, I sit here. Even if I lived down there, I can't rent this place out, and with duplicate expenses, it is better for me to stay in the truck.

The job market here is non-existent, most of the inward movement are companies who already have a target workforce that eliminates most of the indigent people, so we loss before we could apply.

As for 8 more years of Bush, learn what the dems have done first and then look at McCain's performance in relation to the bills he has sponsored and pushed through. If you don't want more unemployment and better working conditions, then don't vote for Obama.

By God Greg you and practically agree on something isn't that scary? Ad your right both but parties discust me quite equally. I just wonder where Juan McCain and his Bush double talk...what have we got to lose with Obongo? As far as the economy and unemployment Bush and company has done a fine job

[OntarioVanMan]

Most of the job loses were the auto and building (construction) sectors...that was Bushes fault? Did he tell GM and Ford not to upgrade or not to build a better car? Did he authorize all those bad loans? The individual states also have a responsibilty to have a competitive business enviroment to persuade companys to stay...
Come out west and see all the jobs available...moving expenses are tax deductable are they not?

[theBeemer]

Originally Posted by OntarioVanMan

Most of the job loses were the auto and building (construction) sectors...that was Bushes fault? Did he tell GM and Ford not to upgrade or not to build a better car? Did he authorize all those bad loans? The individual states also have a responsibilty to have a competitive business enviroment to persuade companys to stay...
Come out west and see all the jobs available...moving expenses are tax deductable are they not?

No doubt my friend but as Greg mentioned many can not afford to.In some areas you can abandoned your house true but you still have to pay for it. Look how many jobs have gone to Mexico and China etc? American people lets face are to dumb to realise they Walmarted them selves out of a job. . I never heard of trickle up,,,its always trickle up.. The textile industries in the south east, had good products but it was cheaper to make and more temporary profits from China. So are they going to buy our products? Any leader of any country (God Knows the US hasn't had one since Reagan,,instead of getting their pockets lined should have the ability to lead..Meaning for instance..Mid to late 80s Hey people do you see what your doing to childrens future? I have lived out in your neck of the woods..Sometimes I miss it. But doing what we are doing I bet your not home much..What if they want to see their kids or family?

[greg334]

OVM,
If you are talking about Michigan, we didn't have such a loss in automotive as we did in healthcare and other manufacturing. These idiots up here in this state think that the only business is automotive, but they failed to get the idea that because of the automotive Union workers, we had a strong health cart system that could have survived without too much help. The demise was not due to a lack of workers who needed health care, it was directly caused by the state, and the states inablity to be business freindly.

Since Granholm got into office in 2003, we lost a record amount of positions in the state. Pfizer, in April of 2003 bought Pharmacia-Upjohn, putting out over 15,000 people just in Pharmacia-Upjohn, and another 5500 from Pfizer's Michigan operations within the first 6 months of the 'merger'. She could have stopped the 'merger' but she was one who said it would be a good thing and then promised help - what help? Since that time, we have had a few hospitals close, we have had R&D leave the state completely except for u of m, we have had almost all of our independent regional labs go away or absorbed and people laid off (the latest is happening right now with about 350 losing their jobs).

Bush is not at fault Beemer, the congress and my governor is for our situation. The auto companies need to get their Sh*t together and build a competitive product for the consumer. GM is a perfect example, they claim they are leading the electric car market but yet to produce one car. Ford is another example, they still take two days to change a line over where their competition takes one. All three domestics have concept to production times twice as long as the nearest competitor and the biggest issue they face is not being able to build a car here, that can be sold anywhere - the harmonzation of emissions and safety laws. Obama has promise somehting like 15 billion to the auto companies to help them develope new producs, I say not a dime. I say push the cafe standards up to 35 in 5 years, not 20 and not bail anyone out.

But with that all said, we have a lot to lose with Obama, he and Biden are controlled or handled by the way left people, McCain at least is not handleded and that makes him look like an old man who looks confused. Read the rhetoric of Obama carefully, he is not saying anything new, or different but the message is clear, he is a marxist.

As for McCain Beeeemer, I don't like him - he never sent me an application for his $50/hour lettuce picking jobs that he offers and since, I never liked him but because I see evil in Obama, and the fact that I don't believe this BS that we need a 'black' man in the WH to right a wrong, I won't vote for a racist or someone who supports terrorism.

[OntarioVanMan]

I maybe dumb and stupid or even naive..but I figure if one is resourceful enough and really wants,needs to make a change they will find a way...maybe leave their family for a few months get a job and get settled in a job and then make the move...you know make sacrifices...
I'll prolly expedite into the future because this profession does take me around to see family....We also get home more now it seems...maybe because we are here almost 2 weeks at a time, seems like more....vs a couple days here and a couple days there...and one thing with off time theres no calls from dispatch with load offers....well only happened a couple times...

[LDB]

The negatives mentioned originally are just about all attributable to the last 2 years, not the entirety of the Bush presidency. The first 6 years with Bush, even in spite of 9/11, were growth years. The last 2 years, with Pelosi et al in the majority, have seen the negative changes you mention. Our choices for president are Bad and WORSE. McCain is a bad choice. There's no question of that. Even so, he's far less potentially troubling and damaging than Obama. Vote smart. Vote McCain. Or vote other than smart.

[chefdennis]

OVM wrote:

but I figure if one is resourceful enough and really wants,needs to make a change they will find a way...maybe leave their family for a few months get a job and get settled in a job and then make the move...you know make sacrifices...

+1, but for the avg person that the government is supporting, the above situation would be out of the question.

[OntarioVanMan]

Some companys out here will help pay for the move if they sign a work contract....

[layoutshooter]

Any artical written for "Labor Day" will be written from a "Union/Democrat/Marxist view. Having said that, it really makes do dang gum difference who gets elected. I have found a down right, kick butt, garooonteed way to make a ton of money!!!! The state of the economy will not matter, this is FOOL PROOF!!! With the way government is controlling every aspect of you life, and the way they will expand that control requardles of who gets elected, we are all going to get royally screwed!!! SOOOOOOOOO, I am buying up as much stock as I can in ANY company, forgien or domestic that produces vasoline or KY!!! I got it made in the shade!!!! Layoutshooter

[greg334]

Originally Posted by OntarioVanMan

Some companys out here will help pay for the move if they sign a work contract....

Signing bonuses and covered moving expenses are a thing of the past with most professions, especially general IT and some specialty areas of IT - unless you a dimwitted programmer, for some reason they can do without the security specialist but they need programmers.

[OntarioVanMan]

The blue collar sector out here in the quad states some are still paying...

[arkjarhead]

Beemer,
How do you know that the people that wrote and published this article aren't Zionist swine? You said in another post that all of the media was owned by 6 Zionist people and then listed like 100 names. I didn't know if the Zionist as you call them have really long names or what. Before you go calling me a goyim or whatever it is you call greg I'm a member of a Free Will Baptist Church not a Goyim Temple. You should really watch out for the Zionist swine they are just about as bad as the Imperialist swine and you know what they say about them... they will leave you at home alone with nothing but a goat for company. Dude, you are so funny. Have you ever seen the show "King of the Hill"? You remind me of Dale Gribble he is a conspircy theorist just like you.