Unemployment- There' ain't no hiding place

[n2doc]

February 13, 2011, 4:18 PM
Krugman- Who’s Unemployed?
Larry Mishel emails me to second my concern about Charles Plosser’s blithe assertion that unemployment is about shifting workers out of construction. As Larry points out, the BLS provides data on the previous employment of the unemployed. There were 7.7 million more unemployed workers in 2010 than there were in 2007; of those extra 7.7 million, only 1.1 million had previously been employed in construction.

To do a bit more with those data: here’s the increase in unemployment 2007-2010 by industry of previous employment:


See the structural shift? Neither do I. As others have noted, basically unemployment doubled for every industry, every occupation, every state. Where are the sectors/occupations/regions gaining jobs? Nowhere to be found. There’s nothing structural about it.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/whos-unemployed/

[annabanana]

1. Gawd, that's grim.

We really really really need a bunch of WPA style projects. And there's plenty that needs to be done.

[Taverner]

2. I am so fucking lucky to have a job right now

Not based on merit, but LUCK. DUMB FUCKING LUCK.

Dog I hope this changes soon

[somone]

3. Which is why we need _more_ spending for job creation, not less

[Raster]

5. Unfortunately spending money on public works projects does not benefit...

...the Lords of Money. Funds that would benefit the populace-at-large are being cut at every turn. However funds that benefit the top 2% continue to flow.

[Starry Messenger]

4. k&r

[HughBeaumont]

6. And goddamnit, can we put the victim-blaming myth of "retraining" to bed once and for ALL?

Go back to school? Uh, FOR WHAT? With WHAT MONEY? With what spare time for all the work you're going to be doing? Oh and where's the ROI? Where are these supposed "secure" careers? People with Masters Degrees are unemployed. This is who you'll be competing against. IN EVERY FIELD.

Corporate America is Holding America HOSTAGE!

[Raster]

8. You are so spot-on: Corporate America IS holding America hostage.

The Lords of Money will not allow their influence to be challenged.

[kentuck]

7. That's terrible!

Nobody is building anything.

[ThomCat]

9. Unfortunately, Obama is buying into the Republican idea

that now is not the time to create jobs. Now is the time to slash every program everywhere that helps people. Including programs that help people try to find jobs, because those come out of community block grants that are definitely getting slashed.

If you stop doing anything to create jobs, and you actively decimate the programs that help people find jobs, you can't claim to be doing anything to improve the job situation.

Obama needs to stop following the Republican lead and finally start creating jobs, with or without the republicans!