JOBS, JOBS, JOBS...Why can't D.C. get this message?

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Did tax cuts for the rich create jobs in this country?

This is a fair and direct question.

The reason I am asking it is because the negotiated tax plan from the White House with the Republicans touts it will create jobs.

My thing is this, "The millionaires and billionaires have had this tax cut for 10 years, where are the jobs?"

This is a valid question because does anyone believe that continuing this tax cut will create jobs in this country?

We are knocking on the door of 10% unemployment in this country and I don't see any relief of these numbers, anytime soon. In fact, we need to create over 200K jobs a MONTH to catch up with inflation and the unemployment rate to off set it and we are talking about 200K a month for close to 2 years.

Look, the reality is this; all of this is a set up to marginalize President Obama further, along with the Democrats. If you don't believe it, watch the ratcheting up for the next year from the GOP. Watch about the continued lack of leadership, weakness from this president meme. And the GOP has been stating this about him WAYYYY before Democrats got frustrated and started saying this publicly.

This dog and pony show will continue, it will not slow down or stop. Every time President Obama wants something, he will be forced to cave to the Republican agenda. Pushing these rich folk tax cuts is just kicking the can down the road and empowering, proving the point to the Republicans. The Republicans believe they can defeat Obama in 2012, control the congress again, and make these tax cuts permanent. The Republicans don't believe this economy will turn around anytime soon, the fact of the matter is that we don't have enough jobs to employ folk in this country.

The next act from the Republicans will be the call to PAY FOR THIS SHIT. And guess what they will trot out? Social Security and Medicare cuts. The GOP will continue to whine that these programs will bankrupt this country and must be overhauled. Along with this disastrous meme, will be the reminder to President Obama that he is for "Pay Go". Remember, words do matter and he did say he supported it. This will put President Obama in another box. And you think folks are angry at rich folk tax cuts, watch your Grandmother go off when she witness President Obama state, "..cuts in payment to social security must be done to save this country."

It will be a sham.

Why a sham? Because the Republican Party is the party of spend, spend, and spend. They spent us into the ground under George W. Bush, but spent the money on what they felt is best for themselves and their rich buddies. That is how it went down. When the Democrats came in power, we get shamed on the deficit and it must be under control, programs must be cut. This bullshit is the biggest sham of all because we are spending fake money now to pass this tax cut and if the deficit was so damn important, WE WOULD NOT BE TALKING ABOUT THIS. Personally, I don't know if this tax cut deal will pass or not. But I do know that President Obama will become a mockery if it does.

Finally, from TomP's diary a comment from lisastar:

caller on Ed's show yesterday (7+ / 0-)

an international flight attendant reporting on what she overhears from US CEOs on her flights. It's all about opening new factories overseas and buying second homes in the 3rd world country of choice to make it easier to commute.

Another caller in the import business said: Trickle down economics works great to create jobs - JOBS OVERSEAS. The wealthy are investing alright, just not in America.

Screw the president's bill.

That is the real point here (and I heard the same caller on Ed's radio show). Until any President have the fortitude to revamp trade agreements to China, India, Brazil, etc. This argument will continue to go in circles. This country is feeling the affects of a poor NAFTA agreement and bad trade agreements resulting in CEO's of this country opening up their manufacturing plants abroad to the tune of 1.00 an hour for personnel with no benefits. This country can not compete with that and to be brutally honest, it won't change. President Obama can say whatever he wants, but the real banker that we owe is China and those floodgates of their bad gear, food is not going to stop coming into this country anytime soon.

That is the dilemma about jobs in this country and why we will be sitting on high unemployment for a very long time. Tax cuts to the rich are not going to create any jobs and if you believe that, then a cup of reality is much needed.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Unemployment's ugly number rose to 9.8%, bad news all around

Well, if the Obama Administration did not know that JOBS, JOBS, JOBS is what this country wanted and put them in charge to head, they know now.

This economy is not getting better and no amount of spin will help. Oh, U.S. just added 39K jobs last month and that is pathetic.

And extending unemployment is a non-brainer, including adding another tier. If congress, on both sides of the aisle, fail to do this, there will be hell to pay down the road.

Employers added fewer jobs than forecast in November and the unemployment rate unexpectedly increased, underscoring the Federal Reserve’s decision to pump more money into the economy to spur growth.

Payrolls increased 39,000, less than the most pessimistic projection of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, after a revised 172,000 increase the prior month, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The jobless rate rose to 9.8 percent, the highest since April, while hours worked and earnings stagnated.

Read more here
Bloomberg News

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Folks going off at unemployment offices

I knew this would happen and it is starting to.

Many who have been looking for work, unable to find work, now see themselves penniless and possibly on the streets due to the dick play in congress over folks lives.

As for the rich, must be nice to not worry about "those people" when you can shop, travel, count your money and assets without a fear or worry.

This is the most selfish country around and leadership in this country is "meh". At this point, what is the difference if you are a Democrat or Republican, the outcome is all for the lobbyists, corporations and rich. Everyone else or the other 98%, fuck 'em. And that is called getting screwed by this government.

From Louisville, Kentucky, video clip inside link:

Unemployment benefits for more than 100,000 people in both Kentucky and Indiana could run out in a matter of days if Congress doesn't act.

Many people are filing for benefits, others are looking for jobs, but with the threat of benefits running out, tempers are flaring.

In the time that a WLKY reporter was at the Louisville Office of Employment and Training, at least two people were escorted out.

Behavior coming from the White House at a time when unemployment is still close to 10% in this country is bizarre, in the meantime President Obama calls for a pay freeze to federal workers with the exception of the military. Does this man understand what is going on out here, as in NO JOBS???? Does he get it that many are about to be cut with no safety net, at all???? Everyday it just gets worse instead of better in regards to the crap coming out of this White House. I guess they did not receive the memo from the midterm elections because their behavior has not changed, while the public is out here drowning.



Congress is dragging its foot while their citizens are drowning out here, Indiana has added armed guards at all its Unemployment sites. Yes, it is getting bad out here.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development is beefing up its security ahead of the holidays, when officials expect a seasonal surge in unemployment claims and extra stress for long-term jobless who might miss benefits because of Congress.

If Congress doesn't reauthorize extended unemployment insurance, which expires at the end of November, the National Employment Law Project estimates that two million people will prematurely miss checks by the end of December.

"There's obviously increasing stress, especially among the long-term unemployed, and also the upcoming expiration of these federal extensions will add additional stress," department spokesman Marc Lotter told HuffPost.

Lotter said the agency is putting armed guards at each of the 36 WorkOne Centers that process unemployment benefits across the state. Lotter said that each center has already had security for the past two years; the agency is consolidating to one private contractor that will now handle security at each of the centers. It's part of a broader effort to prepare for the holidays, during which Lotter said Indiana sees more unemployment claims and also an effort to standardize services across the state.

It is a pity and a damn shame that we have Democrats in congress, which is still in charge that are doing very little to push for unemployment extension. Forget the Republicans, shit they said they will do nothing to aid President Obama the day after he was elected and they have been true to their word, stayed their course.

I am talking about Democrats. Who are we? What do we stand for? Because this shit show I am seeing out of Washington, D.C. is not what I voted for, period. I don't even recognize the Democratic Party anymore. These sold out thugs are no better than the Republicans, who we know are THUGS. This is the frustration out here.

We, as a party are walking in dangerous territory here. As long as the public views NO DIFFERENCE between the Democrats or Republicans, why should they vote for either? When that happens, well, we already saw what happens. It is called the midterm election. It is called, "What the FUCK!!! I am not showing up to vote for none of you!!"

And who got sent home packing?

Lastly, Kentucky and Indiana decided to keep Republicans in charge. But this is an opportune moment for the Democrats to stand with the common man and continue to REMIND them who is standing with them.

But if you don't know how to craft a message and sit on it, the public will continue to think you don't stand for anything.

From Rachel Maddow:



Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Barack Obama has a lot of work to do

2012 is WIDE OPEN for the Republicans.

Unlike 2008 when the sitting VP did not run, which made it wide open for both parties.

2012 is sizing up all the wannabee presidents on the Republican side.

While we watch that side show, we need to work on our own show.

It starts with Barack Obama re-energizing his base, period.

kos put on the front page, "Obama can side with Big Business, or the voters".

kos is right about what he wrote in reference to the Chamber of Commerce. Does anyone in their right mind actually believe that the Chamber of Commerce or those Banksters and Gangsters on Wall Street will give Barack Obama the time of day? It was their corporate money that was heavily invested in the 2010 mid-terms that helped to elevate the Republicans win. All the robber barons want is for the next two years to be destructive, convoluted as the first two years.

Yes, the first two years was convoluted and full of mixed messages that the public never understood. The GOP was not challenged on lies and given the bully pulpit to spread all the lies they wanted to, while our side sat back like crickets.

I don't want to hear all that President Obama and the Democrats did because in actuality for many Americans it was minimum, not enough and many did not know about it.

I am looking at 2012 and if Barack Obama continues to coddle up to the same folk that basically gave him an "F and U" then he is going to have a hard 2012.

President Barack Obama emerges from a bruising midterm election with uncertain prospects for the next one in 2012, according to a new McClatchy Newspapers-Marist poll.

Nearly half of his own base - 45 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents - want someone to challenge him for the Democratic nomination, according to the poll.

And, assuming he wins re-nomination, barely more than 1 in 3 voters, or 36 percent, said they'll definitely vote for him, while nearly half, 48 percent, said they'll definitely vote against him.

"There's some serious electoral jeopardy and his position is very tenuous," said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., which conducted the national post-election poll.

There are some angry folk in the Democratic Party. Many who wanted this administration to concentrate on the economy and jobs, when in the end it was the economy and jobs with the perception that the White House did not do anything that led many to just say forget it when it came to going to the polls.

That is what happened.

And we can sit around here and argue with each other or look at this in the reality it is.

2 million individuals are about to be thrown off unemployment in December, right around the holidays. An extension is needed, while we are still the majority in power, seems like very little is being done.

Paul Gilbert lost his job managing a restaurant in Phoenix in May and said he's had a terrible time finding a new one.

"I have put out at least 25 resumes a week and have only had two interviews," Gilbert told HuffPost. "I want to work. I love to work. I'll do anything, someone please give me a job."

Now he's worried he'll lose the $240 a week he's been receiving in unemployment insurance. Despite a historically bad job market, two million people could be cut off from their unemployment benefits during the holidays if Congress fails to reauthorize federally-funded jobless aid that expires at the end of the month. Gilbert said the Arizona Department of Economic Security told him he's in the cutoff boat.

"It's going to be a long December for a lot of people," Gilbert said.

What kind of fucked up party are we in? I don't get this. Are these millionaire Democrats in congress (yes, many are that) so far removed that they don't get what is happening out here? Don't you see? This is why the voters don't see a difference between the Democrats or Republicans. Especially, since we continuously have Democrats acting and voting like Republicans.

In the meantime, The Robber Barons had corporate RECORD PROFITS, while the rest of America (mostly middle class) is struggling harder than ever. This coming from gangsters and banksters who have funneled massive amounts of money to Republicans, have smeared President Obama (who has been generous to these greedy fucks to the hilt), and continue to whine about not enough tax breaks, etc. When is this going to stop?

This is what the public is upset about. And it can not continue. Not if we want to win in 2012. Many here forget that we were losing over 700K jobs a month when Barack Obama assumed the presidency. What the public wanted and demanded was to fix this economy and create jobs. This did not and has not happened. When the average Joe and Josetta are sitting at their kitchen table or on their computer in Quick Books balancing their checkbook, they do not want to continue to hear about how you stopped the bleeding in the economy because their bleeding has not stopped. These are the same folks who are taking continuous hits on their wages, hours cut, and many lost jobs, barely existing on unemployment, losing their homes. Along with these challenges, they have children who must be taken care of, many who want to go to college and frankly can not because it is too expensive. And let's not talk about how the poverty rate has grown in record number. The only focus the Obama Administration needs to work on is the one with the public and what they want, not big business who has made massive amounts of money off of our backs. President Obama can not continue to coddle big business and do nothing for the ordinary man. If he continues this, he will be a one term president.

Obama's political weakness helps explain why so many Republicans are thinking of running for their party's nomination against him. That race is wide open, the McClatchy-Marist poll showed, with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney the early leader, but several others are competitive.

With politics about to pivot toward the presidential campaign, the poll underscored that Obama's standing will be a major factor.

He enters the second half of his term with his approval rating holding steady at 45 percent, 48 percent disapproving and 7 percent undecided.

"The good news for Obama was that, after the midterm, there wasn't any greater desertion," Miringoff said. "That's the best news. The bad news for him, people are still very tenuous about him."

His political problems start with his own base.

Months ago, I laughed at any Republican running against Barack Obama, but I am not laughing now. Why? The Republicans kicked our ass in the communication game, the message game and the framing game. They did not do SHIT to deserve taking the House of Representatives back, but look what happened. If we continue to concede everything to them, not stand up for what our principles are, we are going down. And if Barack Obama does not start standing up and speaking in frank, lay man words so the voters GET IT, he is going to have some real issues in 2012.

Remember, of the polling out here from the populous, they don't like either party. That means that they see no difference between the two parties, which means why should they vote. And these are the voters we need to come back to us, not the shilling at each other on Daily Kos, but that voter we touched in 2008. We need them badly in 2012 because right now, they are just not into us.

Finally, the continuous argument of not criticizing this administration is weak. Millions did not show up for us on November 3rd for a reason and it surely was not because they read some diary on Daily Kos that made them stay home. They stayed home because we have not done anything for them that they can see tangible here and now in their lives. The bottom line is this; there are way more poor folk, middle class folk, than rich folk. Continue to not do anything for your own people out here and they will continue to sit on that couch and not vote for you.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Minority Voters and the Young "NOT ENGAGED FOR NOVEMBER"

That is bad news for the Democrats.

Minority and young voters made a significant mark on the 2008 presidential election with their high turnout; today, however, these groups appear to have reverted to previous levels of interest in voting in the context of midterm elections. Most notably, in contrast to 2008, when whites and blacks were about equally likely to say they were giving "quite a lot of" or "some" thought to the presidential election, whites are much more likely than blacks to be thinking about the 2010 elections: 42% vs. 25%, a gap exceeding those from recent midterm elections.

Many can speculate on why the non enthusiasm by these groups, but the bottom line is Democrats need these groups to show up in November. No one can dismiss that the economy is number one, especially for the African-American community which is at over 16% in unemployment, but there are other factors.

I read a diary from a 20-ish diarist who laid it out why the young voters are not in the Democrats corner. It comes down to what the Democrats and Obama promised during 2008 campaign and did not deliver, especially on health care (which is abysmal and will become Obama's Achilles heel) and restructuring student loans for the college age kids. About the student loan issue, it is unbelievable that you can purchase a home at 4.5% interest rate and for student loans borrowing money is over 6%. Something is drastically wrong with this picture.

The reason this is happening is the recession, and the perception that Democrats are not doing enough to fix it. There is a feeling that Democrats tricked people into thinking that they were going to make big changes to the country, and then failed to make those changes.

You might think this is an unreasonable criticism, that the Democrats are doing the best they can, and that they never said they were leftists. I can understand that point of view, and it makes a lot of sense. But let's look at what millennials are dealing with in this economy, and it might not seem so unreasonable.

You might be comfortable with the way things are. You might not be interested in radical changes. You might be okay with incrementalism. But others are different. There are very big problems in the USA, and they are making many people very miserable. It's not wrong for these people to ask that the problems affecting them be fixed.

Now, these are some of the problems that are affecting young people.

The unemployment rate among young people is very high:

The unemployment rate for young Americans has exploded to 52.2 percent -- a post-World War II high, according to the Labor Dept.

Tons of people are graduating from high school and college, and they are finding that they can't find jobs.

And they have tons of debt that they need to pay:

Student loans outstanding today — both federal and private — total some $829.785 billion, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org and FastWeb.com.

This is a problem. All my life, I was told that if I did good in school, and went to college, that I would be able to find a good job. That was obviously not true. There don't seem to be any jobs in this economy, let alone good ones.

Instead of telling your kids that they will be able to succeed if they work hard, you might consider telling them that life's a bitch, and then you die. That seems a bit more realistic than the "American Dream".

For those that do not believe the Democrats are in trouble, think again. They are in huge trouble. Gallup released a poll that has the GOP with a 10 point edge over the Democrats. I thought this was an outlier, but NBC/WSJ just released a poll and have the GOP with a 9 point edge.

A combination of sky-high GOP enthusiasm, a deep sense of pessimism about the country’s direction and dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama's stewardship of the economy has given Republicans a clear advantage heading into the November midterm elections, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

With the Labor Day holiday marking the traditional starting point of the campaign season, Republicans have a nine-point edge among those considered likely voters, plus a near 20-point lead among those expressing the highest amount of interest in the midterms.

In addition, six in 10 believe the country is on the wrong track; nearly two-thirds think the nation is in a state of decline; and a similar number aren't confident that their children’s generation will enjoy a better life.

Perhaps more ominous for Democrats, the number of Americans who approve of Obama's handling of the economy — the top issue in the country — has declined below 40 percent for the first time.

“We all know that there is a hurricane coming for the Democrats,” says Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “We just don’t know if it will be a Category 4 or a Category 5.”

I have been writing consistently since last spring for this White House and Democrats to focus on the economy and job creation.

That did not happen, the unemployment numbers are still sky high and the Democrats will pay the price in November.

The health care fight was the one that took all the oxygen out of the room. In fact, you don't see anyone running on THAT craptastic piece of legislation. With little cost containment, you will soon see many Americans angry at not being able to afford coverage. The Democrats had a chance with the public option, something the public wanted but ditched it to the backroom deals, which ended up having the public forced to purchase health insurance. We are going to pay a price at the polls in November for this huge mistake and miscalculation towards the American Public.

Barack Obama does not have too much political capital left. If the Democrats lose massively in November, all roads lead back to him as head of the Democratic Party. And in all honesty, it should. All the decisions came from the West Wing, including the horrific communication. Please after November let us say adios to Robert Gibbs and friends, they failed to communicate much of this administrations agenda and it shows. Along with Gibbs, send David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, Jim Messina packing. Their advice to the President have him boxed into some of the worst poll numbers out there, especially his handling of the economy.

How this administration missed all the clues from the public shows that they were not engaged with the public. There will be some long faces in November, but the final decision must come from Barack Obama, himself. Until he changes and shows that he "gets it", the bad news will continue to ROLL IN.



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President Obama's Labor Day remarks on the economy from Milwaukee, WI

President Obama spoke to union workers on Labor Day at Laborfest in Milwaukee. He announced a long-term jobs program that would exceed $50 billion to rebuild roads, railways and runways. He also criticized Republicans for causing hard economic times.



Transcript

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Bad job numbers, bad unemployment numbers, bad all around

Again, November is about JOBS, this ECONOMY. The White House finally figuring this out is a tad too late on this. As long as people are unemployed, foreclosures at record highs, consumer confidence is low, this is going to continue for some time.

And that is why it will be tough for Democrats in November when the public has disdain for BOTH, Democrats and Republicans. The election of us vs. them with the public hating both.

Oh, those census jobs that bloated the REAL NUMBERS? Those jobs are done and the fallout is what we see, a weak job market as many said from the very beginning.

Companies showed a lack of confidence about hiring for a third straight month in July, making it likely the economy will grow more slowly the rest of the year.

Private employers added a net total of only 71,000 jobs last month, according to the Labor Department's July report Friday. That number was far below the roughly 200,000 needed each month to reduce the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate for July was unchanged at 9.5 percent.

The modest job gains were even weaker when considering a loss of government jobs at the local, state and federal levels in July that weren't temporary census positions. Factoring those in the net gain was only 12,000 jobs.

“The good news here is we are not falling off a cliff; we are getting job growth,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, told CNBC Friday. “But obviously this is not enough. If we don’t see better job growth later this year and next the recovery is in jeopardy.”

The government sharply revised down its jobs figures for June, saying businesses hired fewer workers than previously estimated. June's private-sector job gains were lowered to 31,000 from 83,000. May's were raised slightly to show 51,000 net new jobs, from 33,000.

Overall, the economy lost a net total of 131,000 jobs last month, mostly because 143,000 temporary census jobs ended.

Source

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President Obama's Weekly Address, Republicans obstructing progress (Video, Transcript)

The President blasts Republicans in the Senate who are blocking unemployment insurance and small business tax breaks to create jobs, even as they push for permanent, massive tax cuts for the richest Americans.



Transcript

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What the hell is the Obama White House doing?

Yes, what the hell are they doing?

This stance on cutting deficits will wipe us out, totally in November.

Why?

This country wants the government to SPEND MONEY FOR JOB CREATION, but the Obama White House is on the side of Republicans for cuts.

This is totally, fucking, STUPID amidst 9.5% unemployment and close to 20% underemployment. I mean fucking stupid.

All this cutting will throw policemen, firemen, teachers, in the pile of unemployment.

All this cutting will blow the unemployment numbers up even more.

All this cutting will double and triple classrooms across this country, along with massive school closings. These cuts should anger ALL AMERICANS across this country for schools.



Look, it is nice that Washington, D.C. is full of rich ass people, yes, RICH ASS PEOPLE. They are so far removed from what is happening out here that they don't get it. The Obama White House is starting to look like that.

It is very dangerous to keep very mum while millions of Americans checks are being revoked due to fucking games being played in Washington, D.C. It is even more dangerous to try to frame the unemployed Americans as lazy bums or "Welfare Kings or Queens". Many of these folks have worked ALL THEIR LIVES and have lost or are losing everything that is equal to the American Dream. Playing around with this is a political bomb that the Democrats need to be in front of. And I mean 24/7.

Also, being bold means bringing plans, ideas to get this country BACK TO WORK. Even if it means SPENDING. If you have a solid idea that can get this country back to work, the American Public will stand with you. They will not stand with you if you are perceived as not knowing what the hell to do about it. It also does not mean to play into the Republican meme of cutting the deficits. Not when this country is sinking into the abyss.

Want to cut something that will bring big time revenue? What about that fucking defense budget? What about getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan? What about that? What about nation building HERE in this country instead of in Afghanistan and Iraq? What about plugging the corporate loop holes for companies off shore? We are arguing over keeping teachers and first responders who are NEEDED in this country, but just let that defense budget continue to bloat. But cutting money to educate our kids, our future leaders is just OK.

We need to stop this shit.

As long as folks are not working, as long as the the unemployment roll continues to rise, as long as this White House is acting clueless on what to do about it, we lose in November. ****And if the Obama White House has a massive program to get folks back to work, SHARE IT, I have not seen or HEARD IT. Just putting that out there....****

Barack Obama needs new advisers and a new White House. The ones he has now are unimpressive and clueless as to what is going on out here. If the Democrats lose massive in November, expect messaging and communication to be key here. This White House is the worst White House for making sure the public understands what they have accomplished, because many believe they have not done ANYTHING. How is that? The right track/wrong track numbers. This is about the public not understanding what this White House has done and that is an Obama White House problem.

Finally, the deficit is #4 of what Americans care about, behind the economy/jobs, oil spill and health care. That should tell the Democrats something, but it seems they are just ignoring this.

From The Dylan Ratigan Show:



President Obama touting his economic policies, which is all nice, but what about talking about JOB CREATION IN THIS COUNTRY:



Update [2010-7-7 17:56:28 by icebergslim]:

Usual suspects are angered and good. Let it ALL OUT. We all should be angry because November can be a slaughter house. We don't have the juice, excitement on our side. If we lose massively, the question is this, "Why?" And many can write a book on that one.

Update [2010-7-7 20:16:17 by icebergslim]:

To be clear, in case you forgot or did not know, President Obama asked congress for 50 billion dollars for the states to save the SAME JOBS he saved last year from the stimulus bill. If President Obama had 50 billion lying around, he surely would have sent it to the states from the stimulus package, but he does not. The Republicans are stating to get it from the stimulus money and asking for more money in their eyes is a second stimulus.

President Obama urged reluctant lawmakers Saturday to quickly approve nearly $50 billion in emergency aid to state and local governments, saying the money is needed to avoid "massive layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters" and to support the still-fragile economic recovery.

In a letter to congressional leaders, Obama defended last year's huge economic stimulus package, saying it helped break the economy's free fall, but argued that more spending is urgent and unavoidable. "We must take these emergency measures," he wrote in an appeal aimed primarily at members of his own party.

The letter comes as rising concern about the national debt is undermining congressional support for additional spending to bolster the economy. Many economists say more spending could help bring down persistently high unemployment, but with Republicans making an issue of the record deficits run up during the recession, many Democratic lawmakers are eager to turn off the stimulus tap.

Since D.C. is all about "deficits" does anyone believe that congress will actually save all these jobs? The only jobs congress cares about is their own, certainly not ours.

Update [2010-7-7 22:5:8 by icebergslim]:

Arguing about points in the diary is warranted and wanted, but personal attacks as some are doing do nothing but discredit you. Don't like what was written, you write a diary explaining, the Obama Administration's JOBS PROGRAM. We all are waiting, along with millions who need a job, but as long as we continue to see this administration kowtow another point AGAIN, this time for the deficit in one of the worse recessions if not DEPRESSIONS ever, then they deserve to be criticized.

Update [2010-7-7 22:56:5 by icebergslim]:

Final update and h/t to divineorder on this administration's mixed messages:

During the recent G20 in Toronto, more mixed messages emerged, with our President encouraging member nations to spend more to prop up their failing economies while his administration seeks to gut Social Security and Medicare at home. Europe is also cutting back on public programs, hitting the most vulnerable. The major world economies, including us, need to pump money into jobs, new technologies, infrastructure and manufacturing to increase revenues, not cut services. Instead, the G20 ended on a down note, with little accomplished and governments throughout the world agreeing to shirk their responsibilities to their citizens all at once by withdrawing stimulus.

How encouraging.....while we have congress just press the mute button on the jobless....

An international economic organization criticized the U.S. Congress on Wednesday for allowing extended unemployment benefits to lapse at the end of May, a move that thus far has denied more than 2 million Americans a critical lifeline during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

In its report on the global employment outlook, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development noted that a "particularly worrisome feature" of America's deep recession is the high number of workers who have been unemployed for more than six months.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Jobless rate 9.5%, jobs lost in June, still bad all around for jobs

The 9.5% is for folks that have stopped looking. The jobs lost are those CENSUS JOBS, the TEMPORARY JOBS. The hiring from private industry is only 83K and jobs in this country are still non-existent. And ain't it nice that congress gets to go home without extending unemployment benefits for the over 1.2M that need it. In fact, when they get back to D.C. and look it over, more than 2M will be bounced off. Nice, congress, for an institution that has more DAYS off of work than actually DOING WORK. And D.C. wonders why people HATE congress....

A wave of census layoffs cut the nation’s payrolls in June for the first time in six months, while private employers added a modest number of jobs, according to the government’s latest report on the labor market.

Employers cut 125,000 jobs last month, the most since October, the Labor Department said Friday. The loss was driven by the end of 225,000 temporary census jobs. Businesses added a net total of 83,000 workers, an improvement from May. But that's also below March and April totals.

The unemployment rate dropped from 9.7 percent to 9.5 percent, the lowest level since July 2009. But it fell because 652,000 people gave up on their job searches and left the labor force. People who are no longer looking for work aren't counted as unemployed.

Source



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President Obama's Town Hall Meeting on the Economy in Racine, WI (Video, Transcript)

This town hall meeting was in Racine, Wisconsin, June 30, 2010



Transcript

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No fierce urgency of NOW for unemployment extension....

There is no fierce urgency of now for those on their last tether for unemployment extension, in fact, congress seems to be happy with just letting 200K slip from the unemployment rolls, a week to compensate the deficit.

Is that right? Just?

No, it is not.

It is uncaring, unethical and immoral. How some can sleep at night is beyond me.

With Republicans citing concerns about the growing national debt, the House rejected a bill Tuesday to extend unemployment benefits for people who have been out of work for long stretches.

The House, however, is expected to vote on the bill again as early as Wednesday.

Without an extension, payments would continue to phase out for more than 200,000 people a week. The last extension expired at the end of May. House Democrats said more than 1 million people have already lost benefits.

Who is in charge in the House? Democrats? And how is this getting rejected? I must ask because of this:

Congressional Democrats have been trying for weeks to pass the extension as part of a larger tax and spending package, but the larger bill stalled in the Senate. On Tuesday, House Democrats brought up a standalone bill on unemployment benefits.

Democrats brought up the bill under a special procedure in which no amendments were allowed and debate was limited. Under the procedure, the bill needed a two-thirds majority to pass. The vote was 261-155, short of the two-thirds needed.

This goes along with the continued premise of congress doing whatever is necessary for the next election to retain their seats, instead of doing what is best for millions of Americans who are unable to FIND A JOB, because unbeknown to congress there are NO JOBS OUT HERE.

My take on this, I will be surprised at any unemployment extension. Why? Because there is no heat to extend unemployment. These politicians only care about November and then after that, they will look it over. These politicians will turn a deaf ear and cover their eyes at what throwing millions of families off unemployment will hear or look like. The Republicans will continue to believe there are jobs out there and tell you to go find one, Democrats will holler about it, but won't be able to move their Blue Dogs to vote for it.

In other words, all we are hearing about is reducing the deficit, while the unemployment rate is 10% in this country and the June unemployment numbers are out Friday. The June numbers can be 100K jobs created, but does that dent the unemployed numbers ACROSS THIS COUNTRY? We are about to see people thrown out of homes, apartments, families on the streets because of politicians trying to keep their jobs and give "ALL OF A SUDDEN" concern about the deficit. Yet, I have failed to see any real concern on that fucking defense budget, with 2 wars draining this country dry, along with continuing to put ourselves at the feet of China, while faux paper is being created at the Federal Reserve, in lieu of 2 wars costing 8-10B a month. What about that? Sure don't hear congress concerned about that across the board, but helping citizens who have worked their whole lives, while unable to find jobs that have continued to be outsourced in this country, and needs help, this congress turns a deaf ear.

Lastly, where is the bully pulpit about unemployment? I know President Obama is giving another speech on the economy tomorrow, but what about this President, well, GOING THE FUCK OFF on congress for the millions being thrown off unemployment in the next week? What about shaming congress ON BOTH SIDES, because that house vote to deny benefits was not WITHOUT SOME DEMOCRATS crossing to the dark side!!! What about that? President Obama crossed this country when CANDIDATE Obama and knows about jobs out here. The stimulus did one thing good, it helped states keep their employees employed (for now, because these states need more money to keep the same people EMPLOYED), but for the private sector from large to small businesses the growth has been anemic.

Right now, Washington, D.C. expects us just to deal with unemployment at 10% for a long time, expect us to accept throwing millions of hard working Americans off unemployment. The speeches will continue with the same mantra of "we must work harder at the unemployment numbers", while not much will be done. And the anger grows as we see Wall Street get away with wrecking this economy, the housing situation in the country continue to crumble, and folks still unable to secure a job; as the divide of rich and poor continues to evaporate the middle class, if there is one anymore.

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Update [2010-6-29 17:52:14 by icebergslim]:

h/t to RFK Lives from Bob Herbert:

Employment is the No. 1 issue for most ordinary Americans. Their anxiety on this front only grows as they watch teachers, firefighters and police officers lining up to walk the unemployment plank as state and local governments wrestle with horrendous budget deficits.

And what do these worried Americans see the Obama administration doing? It’s doubling down on the war in Afghanistan, trying somehow to build a nation from scratch in the chaos of a combat zone.

By nearly 2 to 1, respondents to the most recent New York Times/CBS News poll believed the United States is on the wrong track. Despite the yelping and destructive machinations of the deficit hawks, employment and the economy are by far the public’s biggest concern. Mr. Obama is paying dearly for his tin ear on this topic. Fifty-four percent of respondents believed he does not have a clear plan for creating jobs. Only 45 percent approved of his overall handling of the economy, compared with 48 percent who disapproved.

Direct Link to Bob Herbert's column

Update [2010-6-29 19:19:5 by icebergslim]:

Here are the Democratic members who voted NAY in the House:

Adler, Baird, Bean, Berry, Bright, Childers, Cooper, Donnelly, Herseth Sandlin, Hill, Kratovil, Markey, Marshall, Minnick, Nye, Shuler

Contact the House of Representatives, here.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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This congress don't give a MICKEY-FICK, about any of us....

Yes, this congress don't care.

This congress don't care about yours, mines or ours.

Why should this congress care?

Most of this congress are MILLIONAIRES.....

Even in tough times, it's good to be a lawmaker: According to a report released this week by the Center for Responsive Politics, there are 237 millionaires serving in Congress, according to 2008 figures.

That's a slight decline from the previous year, when there were 239 millionaires in the House and Senate. But it still reflects the fact that the average lawmaker is far wealthier than his or her typical constituent. While about one percent of Americans are millionaires, 44 percent of those serving in Congress can claim as much.

"The biggest takeaway from all of this is that even thought the collective wealth of members of congress appears to have declined, members of Congress are still so much more wealthy than the average American – and even more wealthy than a lot of wealthy Americans," CRP spokesman Dave Levinthal told Hotsheet.

How can a millionaire even care about 10% unemployment, technically 9.7%, but not going down anytime soon? Shit, their bank accounts are full, their needs met at a fucking snap, why should they care?

Why should these individuals care about millions of Americans unable to pay rent, mortgage, utility bills, health insurance, car insurance....??? These millionaires have someone PAYING this for them while they run around D.C. to the various cocktail parties or making sure they are on TV looking like they are doing something!!

Why should these individuals be swayed by their own constituents, AMERICANS, unable to purchase food, sustain, etc.? Food?? For these millionaires??? PUHLEAZE...that is not even a THOUGHT for them....

This congress has repeatedly showed the ability to be the most unsympathetic congress in a very long time.

These individuals are playing with people's LIVES HERE. We, Americans, constituents are nothing but political football, being kicked around to see who wins the game. This is not right.

And it does not help anyone when we have a Democrat who states the following:

"We've had four straight months of job growth," said Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) after the House approved its version of the bill in May. "At some point you have to take a step back and look at the relative value of unemployment benefits versus people looking for jobs."

Are you kidding me? 4 straight months of job growth? Did he read the report that most of May job growth was PART TIME, TEMPORARY, CENSUS JOBS that are OVER in September? Meaning, these folks are back at the unemployment office?

It is unbelievable that congress would actually play with folk, families, individuals lives out here. It is unbelievable that congress thinks there are JOBS out here? Well, HELLO, there are not.

The days of just getting a job is over. Hell, you can't even get jobs for minimum wage at McDonald's, Duncan Donuts, Burger King, etc. In my neck of the woods, Illinois, many of these establishments have "NO HIRING" before you can even ask. For the record, Illinois' unemployment rate is 10.8%.

And the congressman, the Democrat from Pennsylvania? The unemployment in his neck of the woods is 8.7% and CLIMBING. And this gasbag has the nerve to even attempt to make a reference that maybe people are not looking for jobs? At least, it reads that way to me.

This is why people are sick of congress. And these idiots in office are OUR FAULT. Instead of electing individuals that will do what we tell them to do, they get in office and get caught up on bullshit and take their eye off the ball, us, their constituents.

For anyone in congress to believe that their are jobs out there, they are smoking some good shit and need to pass that blunt to ME, because I don't see it.

Lastly, I have many friends that have gotten their last check. One friend read to me what it stated in a letter sent to her, here in Illinois:

You have exhausted your entitlement to benefits. Legislation is pending that could make you eligible for further benefits. You will be notified if you are determined eligible for further benefits. Continue to certify every two weeks.

This coming with her having to pay her mortgage July 1, 2010. This coming that she has two kids. This coming with panic, stress and the asking of "What will happen to me, to my kids?"

This is what fucking congress is doing and it is not fucking funny.

Congress, don't give a MICKEY-FICK for what is happening to millions of Americans, but only care about the political points for November.

Well, congress, millions of these Americans vote and I hope to GOD that any one who was an obstructionist and is on the ballot, which is the Republicans and some spiny Democrats are voted the fuck out of congress. And President Obama, we need your bully pulpit NOW, we need your anger at congress NOW, we need you, NOW.....not later...

Update [2010-6-27 13:43:15 by icebergslim]:
The obstructionists are the Republicans with some spiny Democrats that go along. (this is stated in the diary) The point is that people are not going to be able to make it with their unemployment benefits squashed from a view of fat cats sitting in Washington, D.C. who believes that there are an abundance of jobs out here. This is a pure disconnect and a easy argument for the Democrats to make, NOW and use against the Republicans in November.

Update [2010-6-27 14:29:19 by icebergslim]:

Contact your congress members, here, I have already contacted mine's. Thanks to ridemybike for the links.

Update [2010-6-27 14:29:19 by icebergslim]:

And congress what is up with this? WTF?

The current lapse in extended benefits is unprecedented: Data compiled by the National Employment Law Project show that since 1959, the government has never allowed extended unemployment benefits to expire when the national unemployment rate is still above 7.2 percent. The current rate stands at 9.7 percent.

Update [2010-6-27 15:15:37 by icebergslim]:

This economy will be horrific for a very long time. As we saw the bump in housing was only due to the first time tax credit and slashes in prices. Now we see the real deal in the housing market which is not good.

KB Home (KBH) said Friday that its second-quarter orders tumbled 23%, knocking more than 7% off the stock price and providing further proof of a softening U.S. housing market that no longer offers a home-buyer tax credit.

KB Home has revamped its product line, dramatically shaving its square footage and prices, letting it compete with foreclosed houses and to focus on first-time buyers tapping the credit. But the offer expired on April 30, leading to a slowdown in that segment.

"We like this business model and generally its execution during four of the last six quarters; unfortunately, this quarter's results should send a big wake-up call," Stephen East, an analyst with Ticonderoga Securities, wrote in a client note. He expected orders to rise 19%.

The order drop comes as the home-building sector struggles to recover from its worst downturn in generations. Confidence has tumbled as buyer traffic grows sparse. The U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday said new-home sales plunged in May to a record low, dragged down by a lackluster job market and the foreclosure crisis that has shaved values nationwide.

If people don't have jobs and are unemployed then who is out there to purchase ANY GOODS? Can someone answer this question because this is a faux, vicious circle that keeps swarming this economy? It has not recovered, there are no jobs, foreclosures still at a record high and no relief in sight. But the smart thing is to throw folks off unemployment, into the streets?

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Republicans block unemployment benefits

And they think they can get votes out of doing this? While apologizing to BP for putting aside 20B for the Gulf Coast residents?

Whose side are they really on?

Senate Republicans killed legislation to extend unemployment benefits, provide aid to state governments and increase taxes on buyout fund managers, saying it would add too much to the federal deficit.

The vote was 57-41 in favor of the measure with 60 needed to advance it. Democrats had repeatedly trimmed the bill in an effort to gain votes. The version voted on today would have added $33 billion to the deficit, a fraction of previous proposals, though Republicans said the cost-cutting didn’t go far enough.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said earlier today that if the legislation failed, lawmakers would move on to other matters. He said the chamber could revisit the matter later if Republican support emerged.

“We can’t pass it unless we get some Republicans,” Reid said. “It’s up to them.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said “the only thing Democrats are insisting on in this debate is that we add to the debt.”

The impasse means unemployment benefits will be cut off to more than 1 million Americans by the end of this week, according to the Labor Department.

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41,000 new jobs created in the private sector, OUCH!!!

It takes around 125,000 new jobs each month just to match population growth.

Did you get that? 125,000 new jobs each month to match population growth.

Yes, the unemployment is back down to 9.7, but let's be real here, that is only temporary. And as I wrote last month, I want to see the real job numbers when the temporary census jobs shake out by the end of the summer. From the jobs report, the growth of jobs is from the government, in census jobs, temporary jobs.

Then we are back to square one. Looking at anemic numbers like 41,000 jobs a month from the private sector.

We are past, "Houston, we got a problem...."

Friday's employment report underscores the critical transition now underway in the U.S. economy. As the impact of government stimulus fades, job creation will have to come from growth in the private sector.

The latest data on the job market weren't encouraging.

A wave of hiring by the government brought a surge in employment; some 431,000 jobs were added for the month. But almost all of them were temporary Census Department jobs that will last for only a few weeks or months. Private sector employers added just 41,000 net new workers to their payrolls in May. Payroll gains were revised downward for March and April by a combined 22,000.

Even forecasters who are upbeat about the economic recovery were discouraged by the numbers.

“You’ll need to see (job gains) of about 200,000 to be considered a serious advance,” said Robert Barbera, chief economist at ITG.

The large number of census jobs added in May will also weigh on employment data in the months ahead. As those short-term jobs expire, they’ll count as jobs lost in the upcoming payroll data.

My question is this, "What happened to all those tax breaks for businesses to hire people?" My answer is this, "It does not look like it is working." And to Republicans, if you want to use TAX BREAKS, look at what is happening!!! It is not working. Time for some new innovation to addressing job creation in this country and not the same old stale, repackaged solutions that USED TO WORK, but is not working now.



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Many jobs will NOT return

While technically the recession is over, again technically, the reality is that many jobs that are gone will not be revived.

In other words, these jobs are deader than a doornail.

The jobless recovery, with millions out of work for a very long time.

This is what November will be about.

Fewer construction workers will be needed. Don't expect as many interior designers or advertising copywriters, either. Retailers will get by with leaner staffs.

The economy is strengthening. But millions of jobs lost in the recession could be gone for good.

And unlike in past recessions, jobs in the beleaguered manufacturing sector aren't the only ones likely lost forever. What sets the Great Recession apart is the variety of jobs that may not return.

That helps explain why economists think it will take at least five years for the economy to regain the 8.2 million jobs wiped out by the recession — longer than in any other recovery since World War II.

It means that even as the economy strengthens, more Americans could face years out of work. Already, the percentage of the labor force unemployed for six months or longer is 4.3 percent. That's the highest rate on records dating to 1948.

Behind the trend are the cutbacks businesses made in the recession to make up for a loss of customers. To sustain earnings, they became more productive: They found ways to produce the same level of goods or services with fewer workers. Automation, global competition and technological efficiencies helped solidify the trend.

Diminished home equity and investment accounts have made shoppers more cautious, too. And their frugality could endure well into the recovery. That's why fewer retail workers, among others, will likely be needed. read more here...

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290K jobs added, unemployment rises to 9.9%

I am at a hold off stance.

First, I know the Census Bureau is hiring and hired 100K of these jobs. Word is that they are STILL hiring, so those numbers will help with job growth. TEMPORARY JOB GROWTH. Next, the unemployment numbers jump from 9.7% to 9.9%.

Let's be clear, I need to see these numbers fleshed out by late summer, early fall. Why? The census jobs will be over or coming to an end, then we can see what the REAL job numbers are. Are we talking temporary jobs, temp to perm jobs, permanent jobs? That is the real question out here because many people I know, some with mutliple degrees to high school diplomas are still not unemployed.

I am hoping for the best, not the worst, but unemployment number ticking up deflates the hurrah, somewhat.

U.S. employment grew at the fastest pace in four years in April as private sector businesses ramped up hiring, showing the labor market recovery gaining steam.

Employers added 290,000 jobs in April, the Labor Department said Friday, far more than analysts had expected. The department also revised figures for February and March to show 121,000 more jobs were added than previously estimated.

"I think we are moving into this very reassuring range of strong employment growth. It is consistent with the way the economy is going," said Kurt Karl, chief U.S. economist at Swiss Re in New York.

The unemployment rate, however, rose to 9.9 percent as discouraged workers started to look for work again.

Stubbornly high unemployment has been a political sore spot for President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats, even though the job market is showing increased vigor.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected nonfarm payrolls to rise 200,000 last month and the jobless rate to remain unchanged at 9.7 percent. The median forecast from the 20 most accurate forecasters was for a 188,000 increase in payrolls. read more here....

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Stop talking about health care and get on this recession and JOBS....

Look, the health insurance debate is over. Period.

Many have hardened how they feel about it, whether for or against. Period.

The Democrats and President Obama got to deal with many unhappy campers out here about it and their lack of understanding what this law means now. Democrats had more than a year to sell health insurance reform and did not do a good job, period. We know that, we saw it last summer. Since then the message has NEVER been retained, the Democrats lost the message on this.

Enough of explaining a bill, that was crappy from the onset, that had to be immediately FIXED and now trying to explain what the public will get, but most of it won't start until 2014. Yes, a cluster fuck. In fact, my sister told me that at her job, the human resources phone was ringing off the HOOK because many parents wanted to put their kids onto their insurance plan, IMMEDIATELY. You know the, "you can be insured until 26". Many thought that it would happen immediately, when in fact not until 6-8 months out. Again, misinformation running amuck.

So, can this President and Democrats move to this economy and NO JOBS OUT HERE. Why? Well, many have been unemployed for more than 6 months, with many moving towards over a year. Can we see some movement on how the Democrats plan to cope with this? And can we see some selling of this?

Am I frustrated much? You betcha. The mid-term elections will be about a few things: the econonmy, lack of jobs, fear of losing a job, continued mortage foreclosures in the millions, and anger at all these BAILOUTS to the banks, Wall Street and NO HELP out here for the average joe.

While the President is all smiles with President Medvedev of Russia on a re-boot of the Start Treaty for reduction of nuclear weapons, the public is viewing this as a huge YAWN. Yes, this is important (if it can get through the senate), but to the average joe, NOT MUCH, jobs and this economy is what is important to joe.

So, while President Obama and the Democrats are playing catch up, the polls are continuing to erode and how people feel out here on this very shitty economy is hardening. There is nothing like anger on populist messages to send everyone packing in November and that means, Democrats. Now, one of many stories of foreclosure and job loss.....

Since Richard Brown lost his job to the recession and his Boston home to foreclosure a year ago, he’s been working short-term consulting assignments until he gets back on his feet. In the meantime, he’s been “couch surfing.”

“I’ve lived with my brother, my cousin, my friend and my dad,” he said. “The IRS keeps calling me, asking me: ‘What’s your address?’ And I say, ‘What week is this?’”

Armed with college degree and an MBA, Brown, 49, built a solid resume over three decades as a corporate controller for several Fortune 500 companies, including W.R. Grace and Wal-Mart, before launching his own global consulting business with clients in Europe and Mexico. But when the Panic of 2008 sent clients scrambling, he was unable to keep up with a jump in his mortgage payments and lost his home to foreclosure.

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162,000 new jobs added, unemployment rate still at 9.7%

A start, but we need millions of new jobs created with the millions out of work. Remember, Secretary Treasurer Timothy Geithner said it will take a long time before the unemployment rate goes down. Also, a great insight and read on this from The Bonddad Blog.

After more than two years in which more than 8 million jobs were lost, the country’s nonfarm payrolls surged in March.

Employers added 162,000 jobs last month, and employment numbers in the previous two months were revised upward. Nationwide, the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent.

To many ordinary, out-of-work Americans, the recovery may finally start to feel real.

“The key message from this report is that we’ve finally turned the corner,” said Nigel Gault, chief United States economist at IHS Global Insight. “Going forward, we should expect things to strengthen further over the rest of the year.”

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