[Cliffie]

The NPR announcer said the unemployment rate has gone up more than a full percentage point in the past month. What happened to that happy news that the economic trough is once again filled with enough swill for all of us?

[junior 88 fan]

Congressman Thaddeus McCotter was on WJR earlier this week and said he feels it is 20% and by this years end, it will be 25%. The media is so vested in their boy in DC (and their girl in Lansing), that they do not want be truthful and make him/her and themselves for sucking up to him, look bad. Now doesn't that just make you feel special??? Hurry up Jenny, bring more windmills because that is putting thousands and thousands to work. What a joke!

[gwinn_raptor]

great news.....

Its sad because you see alot of people that just shun the news away, like if they ignore the problem it will go away. Its sad because the longer that politicians and leaders ignore the problem, the worse and worse its going to get.

I have buddies that have been laid off for 9 months that cant find even a min wage job up here in the U.P. They are hard workers, willing do do anything for money.......still cant get an interview or even a call. They would pick fly sh1t out of barrels of pepper with boxing gloves on right now for a dollar they are so desperate to keep their homes and property. Its just sad, and whatever they say i dont believe.......there is no way that the economy is going to turn around by early next year, this is going to be a long recession/depression.

[Newtgirl]

That number doesn't factor in the people whose unemployment benefits have run out, or the people who don't qualify for unemployment in the first place. That's just people who are on unemployment right now. I'd gather it's closer to 20% already.

I will admit I'm one of the 'flee-ers'. I'm moving to Virginia next week.

[bluebird39]

Gwinn... sent you a PM.

I'm in NE MI and unemployment here is well over 20%. It's BAD! It's been over 15% up here for years! I'm so grateful that DH has a good job!

[JGatti]

Don't blame the media because Michigan business owners are not paying a decent wage anymore. I am one of that 15% that can't find a decent paying job in Michigan. It's a joke to see these same jobs in other states paying $4-$6 more per hour. If people cannot make a decent wage to buy things and spread the wealth this state is going to die a slow and painful death. I have a resume on every job site known to man and the only jobs I have found are out of state. I have 5 years of residential and commercial maintenance exp yet everyone wants to pay $8 and hour. Skilled trade makes the same at Burger King now? I also have 16 years of experience in the corrugated paper industry, 8 years as a supervisor. If I want to move my family out of state, I can get a job in the industry I have been in for the last 16 years before management screwed the plant up. Idiots. Right now I'm trying to sell my house. Why? So I can take one of those pathetic low paying jobs and still use the no worker left behind program and go back to school.
I'd be willing to bet most of the unemployed remain so because they can't afford to go back to work. What a frickin joke. I make more money on unemployment than if I were to take a job at even $10 and hour. If I were to do that I'd lose my house. I'm barely getting bye right now, I can't earn any less. Yet 95% of the jobs I see pay pathetic wages. So what are we to do?

[YAZ]

JGatti and others,

A weird little phenomenon is happening in AZ....it happened while I lived in MI too.

Skilled trades positions (the limited available ones), are seeing DECLINING wages. We're seeing machinists wages drop 25 % over the last year or so. Along with layoffs, employees are seeing their health benefits "disappear", mandatory furloughs, and in some cases....pay cuts.

I've experienced all of the above in the last 11 months.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

How in the heck can an employer offer a skilled machinist with $5k worth of personal tools 12 bucks per hour, while that machinist goes to Burger King for lunch and orders a Whopper from someone making the same wage?

Say G'bye to the middle class, folks.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by Newtgirl

That number doesn't factor in the people whose unemployment benefits have run out, or the people who don't qualify for unemployment in the first place. That's just people who are on unemployment right now. I'd gather it's closer to 20% already.

I will admit I'm one of the 'flee-ers'. I'm moving to Virginia next week.

Conservative guess.

I'd say it's closer to 30%.....

HR gal at work said to get a "real" unemployment number, take the current rate and double it. I've been laid off for 6 weeks now, she told me yesterday that many folks just quit filing for unemployment benefits.

I'm one of 'em....

[Newtgirl]

Originally Posted by JGatti

I'd be willing to bet most of the unemployed remain so because they can't afford to go back to work. What a frickin joke. I make more money on unemployment than if I were to take a job at even $10 and hour. If I were to do that I'd lose my house.

You're not the only one in that boat. My dad's in that same boat, trying to find what odd-jobs he can under-the-table.

And a dear friend of mine works for an auto-parts supplier (which, unfortunately, supplies mostly to GM instead of Ford (but that's a whole 'nother can of worms)). He's now making less money than he did when he started the job 2 years ago. And he deals with perpetual layoffs (usually he works about 6 weeks, has 2 weeks off). But like he said, it beats not having a job at all. Unfortunately, he and his girlfriend both work for the same plant, so they get laid off at the same time, and don't even have that steady income.

I'm trying to convince everyone to come to Virginia with me, where at least the job market's feeble (unemployment's usually between 4-6%), rather than stone-cold dead.

[junior 88 fan]

Where in Viginia are you relocating too and were you able to land a job from here before moving? Thanks and good luck.