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Our mills up here are very sensitive to US economic stats. Right now and for the last year there's been a big run up in plywood and lumber shipping to the US, and mills are adding new machinery. The same thing is happening in Calgary, AB: companies are being bought out by US sources and shipping goods to US markets and contracts, particularly in office furniture and jail doors.
The refusal of certain people to acknowledge even the most obvious forms of American economic progress is absolutely astounding. There are people who actually think the BLS is defrauding the American people with "fake numbers." Hilarious.
They aren't fake numbers - it's just that certain groups of jobless people are left out of the calculation formula so that the unemployment rate can seem lower than it really is.
First of all, people who would like a job but have given up looking (because it is demeaning and extremely aggravating to send out hundreds or thousands of resumes or applications and still not get a job) are not counted.
Secondly, people who would like a full-time job but only have a part-time job are not counted. When you have a skill set which, in a better economy, would get you a $50K/year job but you're bringing $150 per week flipping burgers, you may as well be unemployed and on welfare (which probably pays more than that).
Though it may be true that of the set of people comprising those working at any job and those actively searching for a job, less than 6% do not have a job, you have to look at the real unemployment and underemployment rate. What you really need to do is look at the "U-6" number:
The unemployment rate that is published is called "U-3". U-6 includes the discouraged and the underemployed, and it is always about twice what the U-3 number is.
And we also have to figure that that U-6 number doesn't include people who are working full-time jobs that don't pay anywhere near what they should be making (examples include full-fledged lawyers working as paralegals, full-fledged computer engineers working at a help desk, and teachers with master's degrees working as substitutes). Until all of this stuff changes and people are able to find work they enjoy which pays an amount worthy of their education, experience and talent, it won't matter at all what the unemployment rate is. People will still think the economy sucks.
Not long ago I hung out with a friend who told me that once a week he gets together with some of his local buddies, they all go to the bar, and they gripe about their jobs. What good is having a job to your overall well-being, if you hate it that much?
All the jobs that meant something went overseas. The only thing available are low wage jobs with no benefits.
Just the usual rubbish they feed Americans.
That's funny. I know a dozen people who have gotten jobs this year and none of them are low-wage, no benefits positions. I have been offered two of those myself which I declined. And yet, that seems to be "the only thing available." Weird!
Probably all fudged numbers and lies. I bet the majority of these jobs are nothing but crappy paying anyways. Wages aren't increasing, everything else is. Lousy paying jobs shouldn't count to make an argument for "Improved economy" garbage
You are out of your mind! If you can't see the improvement in the economy, I don't know what to tell you. People are capitalizing on these great times. Sorry, you aren't, but many people are. Sometimes I wonder if people just don't want to admit that while Obama is in office things are unquestionably better. There is more than just employment numbers to look at for economical growth.
I think there are lots of people that dislike Obama to the point no matter what real life is, it has to be bad. We have a black president in office. That means bad. What a strange country I am living in.
You are out of your mind! If you can't see the improvement in the economy, I don't know what to tell you. People are capitalizing on these great times. Sorry, you aren't, but many people are. Sometimes I wonder if people just don't want to admit that while Obama is in office things are unquestionably better. There is more than just employment numbers to look at for economical growth.
I think there are lots of people that dislike Obama to the point no matter what real life is, it has to be bad. We have a black president in office. That means bad. What a strange country I am living in.
The race card really? The race card is one of the reasons that Obama and his supporters are being taken more and more as a joke, you cannot even have an honest discussion as they start throwing race out there as the reason for anybody having a problem with him.
Here are a couple of facts for you.
The recovery from the recession is one of the longest recoveries in United States history, while a few people are doing better then ever it is a fact that the economy is still just as bad as it was 6 years ago, think about that for a minute. 6 years later and we are really just starting to climb out of the mess.
The median household income has dropped over the years, including 6% just last year, meaning that some may be doing better but more than half of all the households did worse in 2013 than they did in 2012.
There are strong indications that there may be another rescission coming, with the slow down in home purchases and ability for people to buy a home, many experts are worried that it will cause another downturn.
Additional rules and regulations passed or put in place by departments like the EPA have cost jobs over the last 6 years, considering Obama oversees those departments, it is only fair that he gets the credit and the blame. Is it not?
Now given those facts I can see why you would rather discuss race, but the fact is the average American is not have great times.
Hmmm.... first five years Obama took office. ... it's almost as if there was a great national crisis which occurred immediately before he took office. .. I wonder what that was and who our president was then ....?
Blame Bush...guess what LET IT GO!!! Obama has been in office 6 years and he is crushing business' with regulations & Oobama care bull$hit..
I just read an article that said business' will start laying off again because of the crushing weight of taxes and regulations (Forbes)...so what is that Bush's fault too?
I'll ask a question to all of the people that thinks, "the numbers Fudge".
What has Happened to the people that, Their Unemployment ran out?
What are these people doing for income since in your words "They have gave up looking for work"?
I'll wait for the answer
The race card really? The race card is one of the reasons that Obama and his supporters are being taken more and more as a joke, you cannot even have an honest discussion as they start throwing race out there as the reason for anybody having a problem with him.
Here are a couple of facts for you.
The recovery from the recession is one of the longest recoveries in United States history, while a few people are doing better then ever it is a fact that the economy is still just as bad as it was 6 years ago, think about that for a minute. 6 years later and we are really just starting to climb out of the mess.
The median household income has dropped over the years, including 6% just last year, meaning that some may be doing better but more than half of all the households did worse in 2013 than they did in 2012.
There are strong indications that there may be another rescission coming, with the slow down in home purchases and ability for people to buy a home, many experts are worried that it will cause another downturn.
Additional rules and regulations passed or put in place by departments like the EPA have cost jobs over the last 6 years, considering Obama oversees those departments, it is only fair that he gets the credit and the blame. Is it not?
Now given those facts I can see why you would rather discuss race, but the fact is the average American is not have great times.
The race card in this case is a fact, not made up. It is a matter of percentage, not "if". What percentage will just say, things are bad because a black man could never do a good job in the most powerful position in the US. That is the only question here, what percentage.
Oh another recession coming? Really? And what stupid news source is that coming from? What fear group on the media circuit is spewing that? Lets face it, the media is only for entertainment purposes, not to be taken seriously. It is there for advertising dollars and agendas.
Times are great. Sorry things are working out for you, but if you think these times are bad, you aren't prepared for normal fluctuations.
Considering that almost half the population is receiving some form of government assistance, those numbers don't help me sleep any better at night. I feel like the government is "gaslighting" the American public. "Look at how great everything is! The Dow is up! Unemployment is low! The economy is booming!" but yet.....half the population is receiving some form of government assistance. Doesn't look so sunny if you look around.
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