Pretty phrasing aside, employment is still getting worse.

[MannyGoldstein]

"At the same time, the rate of job growth is not as large as needed to bring the unemployment rate down quickly," says the White House's Austan Goolsbee.

This is an interesting way to characterize a worsening situation, as "not good enough".

We lost 95,000 jobs last month. Even if we just count the private sector, which gained 64,000 jobs, that's only 1/2 of what we need to break even just due to increasing population.

I am somewhat cheered by the WH's recent tentative movement toward helping working Americans. However, until the WH is candid about our situation, I have little hope that they'll really do the right thing by us.

We need a new New Deal.

[independent_voter]

1. why are we still glutting the job market with 'guest workers'?

[txaslftist]

12. Because the owners of the factories that employ them...

don't want to pay regular U.S. wages or benefits.

And the factory owners own the government.

[Tiras De Carne Seca]

2. Well said MG.

[prolesunited]

3. Corporations are sitting on unprecedented piles of cash

and refusing to hire workers just so the numbers remain low and the GOP gets back in power.

[deaniac21]

6. Or, they are reluctant to invest when they don't know what next

years tax rates will be or the budget for that matter. Uncertainity about government is definately at an all time high.

[SoCalDem]

8. Probably, the ones in business who are still making money

(and MANY are) are perfectly satisfied with a skeleton crew on payroll..and those that are working there are scared to death that they will be next, so they are willing to do almost anything to stay employed..

and if a product/service is being produced, that is "enough" for a shrinking demand, "next year's tax rates" are probably inconsequential, since business types know how to write off almost all their "costs" anyway

Demand has to come first..

Scared people don't "demand" much...... workers OR consumers

what we have here is a gigantic game of Chicken.. Consumers are holding tight to their money, and companies are threatening (and carrying through with) more layoffs if buying does not increase.

In the meantime, the companies are sitting on their piles of cash they are saving on payroll (they are still raising prices), and are producing less.

[Vincardog]

9. They can expect the biggest crash of all time unless they start to put Americans to work at a LIVING

WAGE. That should calm their 'uncertainty'

[prolesunited]

11. Doesn't matter as much anymore in a global marketplace

Both China and India have seen big growth in their middle classes.

We were led to believe other countries would rise to meet us. Instead, we are being forced to lower our standard of living to compete.

Corporations are looking at the big picture and playing the long game. They have billions. Who do you think can wait it out longer? They love high unemployment. It's an employers' market and the GOP is more than happy to help them. Look at all the talk about abolishing the minimum wage getting traction.

[txaslftist]

15. The Dems haven't exactly been reluctant ...

to help out the corporations.

[Vincardog]

17. What do you think will happen to China and India's middle classes we we go belly up?

[txaslftist]

14. Most of them already know that collapse is coming.

They are saving their money to weather it. Are you?

[txaslftist]

13. Pretty sure that's not the motive.

Couple of reasons. 1) the corporations are generally profit driven and risk averse, so they don't want to hire new people because of uncertainty in the markets, and
2) the corporations OWN Washington, and they own both political parties. What makes you think they give a crap whether the GOP or Dems are running the show?

[prolesunited]

16. Because the two parties really aren't the same

Certainly not as liberal as we want, but definitely not the same.

And let's just agree to disagree on this one because I'm sure neither of us is changing our minds.

[Panaconda]

4. Important distinction

must also be made between private sector jobs and government/public sector jobs.

Would be interesting to see the breakdown in pay, benefits etc. between these two sectors.

K&R which will probably not matter as this topic is definitely being swept under the carpet.

[Donnachaidh]

5. k&r n/t

[leftstreet]

7. K&R

[TheKentuckian]

10. It is hard to believe the pols, money mafia, the press, nor the public

grasp it has been literally years now since we've even had a month when we have produced enough jobs to match population growth and when combined with the massive hole dug that any of this mickey mouse is even plausible.

It has to be serious shenanigans to maintain the 10% we pretend to have. There is literally mathematically no possible way. The trick is pretending people aren't needing or looking for work when they actually are beyond fucked, a few low wage hours is a job, and an assortment of accounting tricks.