Seriously, what we’re looking at over the next few years, even with pretty good growth, are unemployment rates that not long ago would have been considered catastrophic — because they are. Behind those dry statistics lies a vast landscape of suffering and broken dreams. And the arithmetic says that the suffering will continue as far as the eye can see.
Deep Hole Economics
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: January 2, 2011A
AA
Real growth at two-percent? Really, where? Technically we're not in a recession, I guess technically my uncle and millions more who lost their homes just technically relocated. Maybe you think flipping tainted burgers for ignorant, obese, poor people constitutes meaningful employment. When several thousand job seekers show up for thirty open positions it is indicative of systemic failure. "If people really want to work there is work." Yeah, and the poor are poor because they are lazy and it's their own fault and they should just "pull themselves up by their own bootstraps" and blah blah blah bullshit.
NewRevolutionAAA
America’s biggest — and only major — jobs program is the U.S. military.
Over 1,400,000 Americans are now on active duty; another 833,000 are in the reserves, many full time. Another 1,600,000 Americans work in companies that supply the military with everything from weapons to utensils. (I’m not even including all the foreign contractors employing non-US citizens.)
America’s Biggest Job Program – the U.S. Military
Robert Reich
Consider: A corporate leader who increases profits by slashing his work force is thought to be successful. Well, that’s more or less what has happened in America recently: employment is way down, but profits are hitting new records. Who, exactly, considers this economic success?
