Tag: labor force

Obama’s Last Job Report: A Record 95, 102,000 Americans Gone From Labor Force. “Hope and Change”, My Hindquarters

On By kingsjesterIn PoliticsLeave a comment

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…John’s last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs, j-o-b-s, jobs. – Democratic Party Vice-Presidential Candidate Joe Biden, October 15, 2008

Now, over 8 years later, a seven-letter word describes Obama’s Record at making things possible for employers to create actual, non-governmental full-time jobs for Americans:

FAILURE

CNSNews.com reports that

Barack Obama’s presidency began with a record number of Americans not in the labor force, and it’s ending the same way.

The final jobs report of the Obama presidency, released Friday, shows that the number of Americans not in the labor force has increased by 14,573,000 (18.09 percent) since January 2009, when Obama took office, continuing a long-term trend that began well before Obama was sworn in. 
In December, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record 95,102,000 Americans were not in the labor force, 47,000 more than in November; and the labor force participation rate was 62.7 percent, a tenth of a point higher than in November.

The participation rate dropped to a 38-year low of 62.4 percent on Obama’s watch, in September 2015. It was only 3-tenths of a point higher than that last month.

People over age 16 who are no longer working or even looking for work, for whatever reason (retirement, school, personal preference, or gave up), are counted as not participating in the labor force.

When President Obama took office in January 2009, 80,529,000 Americans were not in the labor force, the highest number on record. That number rose steadily during his two terms, reaching a record 95,055,000 in November 2016, then setting another record (95,102,000) in December.

BLS said the December unemployment rate increased a tenth of a point to 4.7 percent, well below the Obama-era high of 10 percent. Last month, a record 152,111,000 Americans were counted as employed, up 63,000 from November; and the number of unemployed stood at 7,529,000, an increase of 120,000 from the prior month.

But people who stop looking for a job are no longer counted as unemployed.

In an interview with a Chicago reporter yesterday, Obama said he has done “an enormous amount” to create greater economic opportunity for Americans.

“I took an economy that was about to go into a Great Depression, and we’ve now had a little over six years of straight economic job growth, an unemployment rate that’s down below 5 percent, and incomes that have gone up and poverty that has gone down.” 

Obama also conceded that “there are still folks out there who struggle and communities that are still depressed.” He called it an “ongoing battle.”

“We have to continue to work to make sure that kids are getting the best education they can, that jobs are being located so that people in need can access them, and that’s going to be something that I suspect we’ll all be working on, and folks will still be working on after I’m gone.”

During Obama’s two terms in office, the number of employed Americans reached its lowest point – 138,013,000 – in December 2009. Eight years later, in December 2017, 14,098,000 Americans have been added to the employment rolls.

The government collects payroll taxes from Americans who work, and some of that money is spent on government programs that support people who do not work. So the more who work, the better for the economy.

In December, the nation’s civilian noninstitutionalized population, consisting of all people age 16 or older who were not in the military or an institution, reached 254,742,000.  Of those, 159,640,000 participated in the labor force by either holding a job or actively seeking one.

The 159,640,000 who participated in the labor force equaled 67.3 percent of the 254,742,000 civilian noninstitutionalized population.

According to BLS, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by a lackluster 156,000 in December. Over the past 3 months, job gains have averaged 165,000 per month.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (4.4 percent), adult women (4.3 percent), teenagers (14.7 percent), Whites (4.3 percent), Blacks (7.8 percent), Asians (2.6 percent), and Hispanics (5.9 percent) showed little change in December.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially unchanged at 1.8 million in December and accounted for 24.2 percent of the unemployed. In 2016, the number of long-term unemployed declined by 263,000.

Who are these people who are no longer a part of America’s Work Force?

They are average Americans like you and me, who, in their very real despair, have given up trying to find a job, choosing instead to work under the radar as handymen or flea market vendors. some not even working at all, sitting at home and letting Uncle Sugar take care of them.

When you ask Lliberals about this unacceptable situation, they will respond to you with charts and graphs designed to buttress their opinion that Obama has actually moed America’s Stagnant Economy forward.

And, if that argument doesn’t work, their pre-programmed response is

But…but…Booosh!!!

Quite frankly, the reason that Obama Presidency did not move our economy forward, like President Ronald Reagan did, is because Obama was more concerned about growing the Central Government, than he was about growing American Production by freeing the job creators from punitive tax rates, in order to encourage the growth that will revitalize our economy.

That is why I once spent 6 hours on a Saturday, on the phone with Punjab from Calcutta about my Comcast Cable Box, which was on the fritz.

But, I digress…

Make no mistake, granting amnesty to millions of unskilled, underage illegal aliens would have done and still will do nothing for the health of our economy.

This action would simply provide future voters for the Democrat Party, which is now firmly in the control of the Far Left. If Obama grants amnesty before he leaves office, he would be putting a further strain on our economy, as all of these “little rascals”, would rely on their new Uncle Sugar for their “daily bread”.

A popular Liberal Defense that was going around during Obama’s Presidency was the claim that Reagan actually had a bigger Federal Government than Obama.

The funny part is: It’s true.

It was larger because President Reagan, through his sound Economic Policy, actually increased tax revenues.

American Production rose, therefore,  TAX REVENUES INCREASED.

Yes, “Trickle-Down Economics, “trickled up”, allowing for a well-funded, strong American Military and Administration.

You see, boys and girls, that’s the secret of American Exceptionalism,am a concept that Obama always gave lip service to, but, clearly, never  believed in.

For America to proper, we must remain free. For America to remain free, we must be prosperous.

American Capitalism is the engine which drives a strong, vibrant economy.  American Capitalism is the result of the courageous Entrepreneurial Spirit of American Citizens. The same “Can Do” attitude which led to Western Expansion and triumphs against those before-mentioned enemies, foreign and domestic.

The current state of the Shining City Upon a Hill can be summarized thusly:

America was formed by men seeking FREEDOM. She grew and prospered because of an indomitable will and spirit forged through the Refiner’s Fire, guided by the common-sense words, inscribed in our Constitution, and administered through a Constitutional Republic. Our nation’s largesse and strength comes through the actions and character of her citizens, not through the usurpation of power by professional politicians, who has long since lost touch with their constituency.

Obama’s attempt to “radically change” our nation into a Third World Barrio was met with resistance, not because of professional politicians, but, because of the defiance of the American People, who love their country.

It was this Defiant Spirit which caused Americans to elect American Entrepreneur and Businessman Donald J. Trump as our 45th President.

And, President-elect Trump recognizes whom he owes his Presidency to.

On November 8th, we proved that America’s Heritage of God and Country is still alive and well in the hearts and minds of the overwhelming majority of the citizens in this country, even those who have dropped out of the workforce.

A President’s role, if he wants to be viewed positively as a world leader, is to work to restore America to a position of strength, both both in foreign and domestic policy.

President-elect Trump understands the mandate that he has been given and is already serving Americans by making deals which will help to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN .

He understands that it all starts with the Engine That Drives Our Country.

And, President-elect Trump already has his hand on the throttle.

Oh…and one more thing…

The Russians did not stop Hillary from continuing Obama’s “Legacy”.

FED UP AVERAGE AMERICANS DID!!!

Until He Comes,

KJ

America 2014: A Country In Need of A Leader [A KJ Op Ed]

On By kingsjesterIn PoliticsLeave a comment

WashingtonPrayingAs I was sitting at my computer this morning, trying desperately to come up with a subject to write about, I was overwhelmed.

In perusing the headlines on the Internet this morning, I was greeted by the following:

FEDS MUM ON PROSECUTION OF ILLEGALS

COMMUNISTS DAZZLE…

Record 92,269,000 Not in Labor Force; Participation Rate Matches 36-Year Low

UPDATE: RUSSIAN NUKE BOMBERS INTERCEPTED NEAR ALASKA…

Obama signs bill to train, arm, Syrian rebels against ISIS

474 Illegals from Terror-Linked Countries Apprehended in 2014…

UN: Ebola threatens global peace, security…

US troops heading into Africa — soon…

Doctors: ‘Irresponsible’…

Domestically, our nation is the most divided it has been since the turbulent 1960s, when the dream of a “New Camelot” ended and the Nanny State of “The Great Society” was born.

It was a time when American Heroes perished valiantly in a war that was improperly prosecuted and those who survived that nightmare returned to their home, only to be spit on and reviled as “baby killers”, by long-haired spoiled brats and academicians, who did not have a clue as to the real cost of their freedom.

Now, 50 years later, the same people who spit upon our heroes, are “radically changing” our beloved country.

And, they still don’t have a clue.

Our Foreign Affairs Strategy, as I wrote on Thursday, is reminiscent of the story of three blind men describing an elephant.

It all stems from the fact that you have the self-proclaimed “Smartest People in the Room” attempting to practice American Diplomacy as if they were organizing a “Sit-In” in the office of the President of their University.

And, when it comes to dealing with those who view our nation as “The Great Satan”, those who have sworn their life to “killing all the infidels” by means of a “Holy War”, in the “Name of the Prophet”, our nation’s Administration believes that they can sit down with these toilet paper-less Muslim Barbarians, like one would sit down with a British Diplomat and have a cup of tea.

As I have remarked, before, America has gone from “Ronnie Gay-gun” to “Steve Urkel”.

So much so, that, shortly after President Barack Hussein Obama ascended to the Throne of the Regime, British Journalists dubbed him “President Pantywaist”.

And, now they want to arm “Moderate” Syrian Rebels?

US Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, would probably disagree…if he was still on this mortal plane to do so.

Meanwhile, back here in the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”, Average Americans are being attacked on all sides, by those who want us to “conform”.

Every single one of the Societal Pillars, upon which our nation was founded and went on to flourish under, are purposefully being redefined by a generation whose morality is ambiguous, whose ethics are situational, and whose greatest allegiance is to themselves.

In other words, as we say down here in Dixie,

They ain’t got no home trainin’.

America’s Moral Compass has been broken for quite a while now, a casualty of the advocacy of self-indulgence and irresponsible behavior of the same “Smartest People in the Room”, I mentioned earlier.

If you engage a member of this current generation of  “young and dumb” in a conversation on the Internet, or, *gasp** in real life, you will understand where I’m coming from, but, **warning** your head will hurt after your conservation with them.

The group to which I am referring believes that morality is relative. Basically, they believe that “if it feels good, do it.” And, when you try to explain to them “Traditional American Values” are based on a heritage derived from our “Judeo-Christian Belief System”, they look at you as if you are speaking Mandarin Chinese.

It gets better…

When the subject of “Ethical Behavior” comes up, this generation of Americans believe that the real world operates like “Survivor”, “Big Brother”, or “Dallas”, a world in which the Golden Rule is

Do unto others…then split.

All of this moral ambiguity and embracing of unethical behavior has led to a generation who are totally immersed in self-adoration and gratification.

I was watching the news yesterday morning, and one of the local reporters was interviewing some idiot, who had been sitting in front of an ATT Store since Wednesday, in order to be first in line to receive the new iPhone 6.

The other day, I was talking to a young fellow with a wife and a couple of small children, who are struggling to getting by. He was bragging about the new $200 tattoo he just got.

And, people wonder why marriages are dissolving at such a rapid rate.

Priorities matter.

Which brings us to the title of today’s blog.

I firmly believe that the issues our nation faces today, are the result of a lack of leadership…beginning with the American Family and going all the way to the White House.

Our nation was built on the backs of leaders. American men and women who saw what needed to be done to ensure the continuance of our liberty…and, they went out and did it.

Mother and Fathers who took responsibility for themselves , their relationship, and their children….including handling the important parental task of guiding and disciplining those young lives, whom they were responsible for.

As I have written before, I am the son of members of the Greatest Generation, those who sacrificed to keep their families together and our country strong and free.

To this day, you can see “4…5…6…” on the back of my legs from my mother’s yardstick.

But, I digress…

Even “public servants”, back in the day” took the responsibility of their jobs very seriously, from the local dog catcher to the President of the United States.

Everybody “took care of business”, even the Leader of the Free World, as Harry Truman reminded us, with a sign sitting on his desk, which read,

The Buck Stops Here.

…as opposed to the sign which sits on our current President’s desk in the Oval Office, which reads,

It’s Not My Fault!

For America to reclaim our rightful place, as the Greatest Country on God’s Green Earth, it is going to take LEADERSHIP…both local and national.

For after all…

Liberty is Freedom…with Responsibility.

Until He Comes,

KJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our country, down to every last amber wave of grain, is careening down a broken ore cart track in a mine, and we desperately need an Indiana Jones to make sure we survive this out-pf-control journey, in which the cart in which we are riding seems to be about to go off the rails at any second.

 

 

6.3% Unemployment Rate Vs. Reality: Reality Wins.

On By kingsjesterIn Politics3 Comments

UnemploymentWhile Liberals attempted to spin yesterday’s 6.3% Unemployment Rate, as something spectacular, reality decided to intervene.

The local CBS affiliate in Washington, DC reports that

Despite the unemployment rate plummeting, more than 92 million Americans remain out of the labor force.

The unemployment rate dropped to 6.3 percent in April from 6.7 percent in March, the lowest it has been since September 2008 when it was 6.1 percent. The sharp drop, though, occurred because the number of people working or seeking work fell. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not count people not looking for a jobas unemployed.

The bureau noted that the civilian labor force dropped by 806,000 last month, following an increase of 503,000 in March.

The amount (not seasonally adjusted) of Americans not in the labor force in April rose to 92,594,000, almost 1 million more than the previous month. In March, 91,630,000 Americans were not in the labor force, which includes an aging population that is continuing to head into retirement.

“The labor force participation rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 62.8 percent in April. The participation rate has shown no clear trend in recent months and currently is the same as it was this past October. The employment-population ratio showed no change over the month (58.9 percent) and has changed little over the year,” the bureau said in a statement.

A little over one month ago, on April 1st, I joined the ranks of the unemployed, due to a Budget Cut.

In years past, this would have been tough. Now, it is tougher. You see, I’m 55 years old.

Being a writer, and someone to whom performing research comes as naturally as breathing in and out, I immediately performed a Google Search, on “Being Unemployed Over 50”. I found an article on the subject , posted in 2012 on forbes.com, which included this hardly-inspiring little ray of sunshine:

For older workers who lose their jobs, the statistics are not very encouraging. Though the unemployment rate for people over 55 is just 5.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, several points lower than the overall rate of 8.1%, when older workers lose their jobs they are out of work for a long time, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute. In May, 54.9% of job seekers over 55 had been looking for 27 weeks or more. According to the Institute, on average, unemployed people over 55 have been out of work for more than a year—56 weeks. Also, as my colleague Ashlea Ebeling wrote in May, the Urban Institute released a report showing that median monthly earnings fell 23% after an unemployment spell for reemployed workers aged 50 to 61, compared with just 11% for workers aged 25 to 34.

Yeehaw. Okay, so what should I do? I mean, I can only watch “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “In The Heat of The Night” reruns so many times. Besides, I keep remembering the mug shots of the late Howard Rollins, from the time he was arrested for Substance Abuse while wearing women’s clothing. It was not a pretty sight.

But, I digress…

The Forbes Article goes on to feature stories from  Renée Rosenberg, a career counselor who specializes in over-50 job seekers. She is the author of Achieving the Good Life After 50, and a coach with the national career coaching organization.

According to Ms. Rosenberg, and the writer of the article, Susan Adams,

Often older workers need to adjust their expectations and consider jobs outside their area of expertise. Sometimes this means swallowing a pay cut, but it can also mean taking a job that is more low key and located closer to home. One of Rosenberg’s clients, at 68, lost his finance job in a downsizing. He realized he wanted to walk to work in his New York suburb. While poking around his neighborhood he saw a help wanted sign in a storefront. He inquired, and landed a job as a dispatcher for a limousine and car service. The job isn’t glamorous but it meets his financial needs and keeps him close to home.

In other words, grab whatever you can. If I was in my late 60s, I would probably follow those ladies’ advice.

However, I am not. I am only 55. I believe that I still have a lot to offer an employer.

The only problem is, will the employers see it that way?

The impatience of a technology-driven society is very evident…even in a job search.

Employers nowadays want to know what you can do for them today, not a couple of years down the road. And, with the economy headed down the ol’ porcelain receptacle, they want you to be able to do it with a limited or non-existent budget. Additionally , if you are being interviewed by a smaller company, Health Insurance for you and your family may not be included, due to the launch of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

This ain’t our parents (or grandparents for you young whipper-snappers out there) Job Market.

My folks were members of America’s Greatest Generation. I was born when they were 40. That being said, I can remember my Mother and Father, going to work everyday, to their jobs with Sears and Roebuck.

That’s right. They both worked for the same company…for 20 years!

You see, boys and girls, back then, unlike our impatient present society, employers hired you for the long haul. These employers were adept, through face-to-face interviews, at recognizing future employes’ potential, and were willing to invest the time necessary to cultivate that employee in order to realize a Return on that Investment (ROI).

Beginning in the 1980′s, the employer/employee dynamic began to change, as older employees, seemingly overnight,  became viewed as liabilities, not assets.

Nowadays, in our impatient society, powered by an universal quest for immediate results and gratification, employers and job-seekers alike have forgotten the old adage,

Good things come to those who wait.

Employers need to realize that there are skills you can teach employees and that the job seeker who is presently interviewing with you, can be cultivated into becoming a worthwhile ROI.

And, on the job seeker’s part, young seekers, just out of college, need to realize that, while universities can teach you knowledge, they can’t teach you experience. You may have to take a lower job than you had set your hopes on, in order to achieve greater success in the future.

In today’s “microwave-version” of the job seeking/hiring process, perhaps both employers and potential employees need to slow down, move in a more deliberate fashion, and think a little more about what they want, in both an employer and in a job situation.

The reality is, with the Obama Administration more interested is the expansion of government than they are in the expansion and health of America’s economy and labor force, more Americans are choosing to drop out of the Labor Force, because they are tired of the struggle. 

All these numbers from the Obama Administration are, is an attempt to put a coat of white paint on a shotgun shack and call it “repaired”.

So, fellow job seekers…

Prepare for the long haul.

Be Flexible. Be Adaptable. 

Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

Until He Comes,

KJ