What is Digg?Sponsored by Travelzoo
Take Advantage of Ridiculously Low Holiday Airfares view!
travelzoo.com - Flights $52 and up for Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year. But move on it now.
215 Comments
- sjbdallas, on 02/18/2009, -5/+107It is worse, we're just being presented inaccurate numbers since they don't account for people who ran out of unemployment or are employed part-time because they can't find anything else. If you're a computer programmer who is stuck working at best-buy 20 hours a week, you should count somehow.
- StingingNettle, on 02/19/2009, -0/+84Depression = When you lose your job. World depression = when the guy from an other country who took your job losses his.
- inactive, on 02/19/2009, -7/+52It *is* worse, we're just not measuring it. http://qurl.com/5csbp
Real unemployment is around 14% and climbing. - inajeep, on 02/18/2009, -2/+37Soon we will all be supporting WalMart in some fashion. Either sweeping the floors, stocking shelves, supporting their huge IT network of cash registers and databases, shipping products to them, putting gas in their trucks, being a middle manager in charge of training new employees, painting the walls, supplying bathroom toilet paper for them, building new WalMarts ...... I could go on. It's a well written article with a load of insight on where our country is going. How do we pull it back from being a nation of Walmart employees? I wish I knew.
- inactive, on 02/19/2009, -6/+31If we started making our own stuff we would have lots of employment.
- IAmTheGuy, on 02/19/2009, -0/+17Effect*. I'm not a grammar Nazi, but affect and effect are two different words.
- inactive, on 02/19/2009, -2/+19You are correct, But this has always been the case, so while the number is always lower than reality, it provides the most accurate metrics for indicating increase/decrease and measurement against past performance.
FYI- Some part-timers (such as myself) are accounted for if their state recognizes partial claims due to an involuntary downgrade from full-time status.. - mickstephenson, on 02/19/2009, -4/+20Employment is employment, our modern form of capitalism has lead to overvaluing of the need for highly skilled jobs and higher education for some time now. The west sets a goal of cushy jobs for everyone even though this is an impossibility in the long term (well without enslaving and preventing development of colonies, of course). So the educated masses have found that what is left are mind numbing jobs in service industries, because other industries have been exported to "less developed" countries, as in a short term perspective this seemed beneficial (Thanks Maggie).
***** Thatcher
(I know the final part may note be relevant to most Americans, sorry) - taibo, on 02/19/2009, -1/+17Except that it's both them and us.
- Pinkertinkle, on 02/19/2009, -2/+18The article made some sense at the beginning but it jumped to some some conclusions with the union mumbo jumbo.
- KimmyGibbler, on 02/18/2009, -25/+40Sucks for Asia
America, ***** yea! - Hetman, on 02/19/2009, -0/+15Thank-You, and I do mean that. I always digg people up who correct my grammar and unfortunately that is a lot.
- murrdpirate, on 02/19/2009, -1/+15They're right about us borrowing way too much to support our lifestyle, but this has nothing to do with unions. If we just need more unions, why is our entire automobile sector crumbling? France is one big union, why do they suck economically?
- fedak, on 02/19/2009, -0/+13Illegals were also a big part of the workforce and were the first to go in the downturn.
This helped depress the official numbers during the "Jobless Recovery" and is masking the job losses during this downturn - jmnormand, on 02/19/2009, -2/+13its easy. stop buying tons of cheap crap at walmart and buy quality goods from local sources. yes you will own less crap, but on the plus side you will own less crap...
- jimmies, on 02/19/2009, -4/+15Unemployment seems low only if you're ignorant.
Real numbers here: http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data - dball48, on 02/19/2009, -6/+17Yea, the unemployment rate looks a lot worse when you include employed people in it.
- Hetman, on 02/19/2009, -0/+11Globalization has that affect. Regardless there is nothing America can do about it now. We just have to ride it out.
- Chompy, on 02/19/2009, -2/+13Did you come in through a time warp from the 1950s?
- geekee, on 02/19/2009, -2/+12"When our economic elites offshored much of our manufacturing sector to East Asia and other cheap-labor lands, and took arms against union labor here at home, they ensured that most of the American jobs created over the past quarter-century would come in retail and service sectors that paid less than manufacturing."
I think the author has cause and effect backwards. Labor Unions demands for higher paying jobs resulted in offshoring to remain competitve against foreign companies.
Don't believe me? Well look at the big 3 automakers, for instance, and how they're now trying to get UAW labor in line with what Honda, Toyota, etc. pay their labor. - fajitamelt, on 02/19/2009, -1/+11Here's my take on it: Depression = what my life is like everyday. World depression = spreading my hatred of all things even to people in other countries.
Anybody know a psychologist? - altgeeky1, on 02/19/2009, -0/+10>Don't believe me? Well look at the big 3 automakers, for instance, and how they're now trying to get UAW labor in line with what Honda, Toyota, etc. pay their labor.
They are. The "$80/hour" has already been proven to be a lie. GM pays more "per worker" because GM -borrowed- from their pension fund years ago, to "increase shareholder value".
I know almost no one my age who drives an American car. A few have American trucks, and even they're looking to trade them in for a Toyota. It's not that they are built badly, but that they get such bad MPG for the weight classes. - NinaOdell, on 02/19/2009, -1/+11We used to make our own stuff, ohGeez - pretty much all of it.
- homercles337, on 02/19/2009, -1/+11Thanks for not making me look for the link Gnocchi. I hate how the real unemployment statistic is ignored. To be honest though, some of the most drastic changes to the unemployment "statistic" occurred under Clinton.
- IAmTheGuy, on 02/19/2009, -0/+10I love verbing nouns.
- MKD89, on 02/19/2009, -6/+16Anyone who thinks "More Unions!" is the solution to a financial crisis like the one we are in simply has no idea what they are talking about. Period.
Ask General Motors how unionization worked out for their bottom line. - Amazetbm, on 02/19/2009, -1/+11The plus side is you actually save money. The cheap crap wears out quicker so you have to go back to the store and buy more sooner.
- xptoast, on 02/19/2009, -3/+12You know why nothing is a Chinese ripoff?
Because China makes everything. - altgeeky1, on 02/19/2009, -2/+11GM is in trouble for the same reasons wall street is... clueless MBAs just looking to rig the books for a bonus.
So lay off the middle-class hate. - fuse13, on 02/19/2009, -2/+11Thats just not very realistic from a view here in the trenches. We are multinational and we just closed our offices for an entire country. Gone. There are big cuts going on right now, and I am in the strange position of knowing I am safe because I am in on the loop and helping with the decision of who needs to go. So I am releived and guilty at the same time. Conflicted!
Some people get fired because their utilisation is low. Others get saved because they have been here forever and redundancy would be too expensive, even though they have nothing to do. Some people who are the best in the company at what they do can go because they are expensive. Conversely, some teams can be replaced with a guru who is desperate for work and will take less in the current climate. Its a great big crapshoot and you can get the axe for all sorts of reasons.
I somehow went through the tech crash (and going into receivership twice) without losing my job, but I saw very good people struggling for a year or two till things turned back a bit. Simplistic comments like yours fail to recognise these problems arent on a personal scale... there simply is less work and less jobs. - fuse13, on 02/19/2009, -1/+10are you trolling to upset some nerds?
cause, seriously. - inactive, on 02/19/2009, -0/+8i just want to go back to buying xbox's with plastic cards and getting quarter million dollar houses with ten dollar an hour jobs.... that was cool
- Floodle, on 02/19/2009, -1/+9I was in a Winn Dixie a couple of months ago just looking for a couple of solid plastic cups, there were a few different types and even some that were made in USA - amazingly the ones made in USA were cheaper than the ones made in China (similar size / quality). Some stuff can be made cheaply in America, we've just got in the habit of buying from China. Plastic cups that probably cost 5c to make in the USA or 4c in China so we get them from China - then the store marks them up to $1 anyway.
- TxAggie08, on 02/19/2009, -0/+8Weird, I'm a college student graduating with an eningeering degree ( I consider this to be "job skills") and it's made my job hunt considerably harder. Everyone but healthcare is affected by the recession.
- bigtoes, on 02/19/2009, -0/+7This article BLOWS !! Asians are losing their jobs because we are broke & have no need for plastic pink flamingos & lots of other cheap garbage they produce . IT"S NOT TO LATE !! We can alter or break these ***** trade agreements that cost us as much as this stimulus package in trade deficits alone . Nevermind the currency manipulation or stole technology . China tariffs three times the amount of exports we do . Free trade seems to be working for them . Go figure ! When they start spending money building their infrastructure & spending all that interest money they got from financing our trade deficits & money they loaned us do you really think they will be buying anything American . Hell no ! It will be all Chinese produced, paid for with our interest & Americas stolen technology .
- lordmike, on 02/19/2009, -1/+8It has not always been the case... they changed it in the early 90's... the U3 number (the old number) is still reported along with the new U6, but you have to hunt for it, and it never gets mentioned on the news...
- Carl306, on 02/19/2009, -1/+8Well that's not very nice...
- fuse13, on 02/19/2009, -2/+8nice kneejerk reaction without any kind of comprehension of what was being said.
- unbenamtl, on 02/19/2009, -0/+6Lisp
- taibo, on 02/19/2009, -7/+13Yeah okay, you can go ahead and pay 40 bucks for your american-made t-shirts, and I'll stick to my 5 dollar shirts that are just as good quality-wise.
Sorry, but until you can make stuff for cheap here, it's not gonna happen. - jmnormand, on 02/19/2009, -0/+6it has little to do with mpg or quality it has to do with image. all three automakers dug their hole by producing sup par cars through out the 80s and 90s, and relying on trucks and suvs to keep them in business. now even though they have competitive cars the bad image from 20 years ago hasnt faded so no one buys them.
- Akairenn, on 02/19/2009, -2/+8Hey, just the other day I bought a large glass baking pan from Wal-Mart.
It was made in the U.S.A.
...That's when you know the economy is completely screwed, when Wal-Mart is selling *American* products. :p - bjwest, on 02/19/2009, -0/+6If you're a computer programmer stuck working at best-buy 20 hours a week, you may not be counted as unemployed, but the unskilled person who would otherwise be doing that job is. You have a job, so you shouldn't be counted on an unemployment report. There are (or should be, if not) other reports for you.
- inactive, on 02/19/2009, -1/+6"Most of their history" meaning WWII where any country on the planet would have been wiped out if it shared a border with Germany? You morons need to learn some god damn history before making comments about french military history.
- mkmega, on 02/19/2009, -2/+7Unemployment is typically double what the experts say.
- Pyros7, on 02/19/2009, -1/+6Do you really think that buying a $40 shirt verses a $4 shirt gives more money to the people who make it in China?
If so I've got a bridge to sell you that will make everyone in Brooklyn rich. - jitterbits, on 02/19/2009, -1/+6Jcred, what about the fact that Walmart encourages their employees to use social services or get on the state health plan? Or that when Walmart goes to a new town, they are often well-funded by city coffers? We all support Walmart, whether we shop there or not. Your idea of them not getting an involuntary tax donation is not based in fact.
- katorga, on 02/19/2009, -2/+7Globalization is the problem. Workers in high cost-of-living zones have to compete with workers in low cost of living zones. They can't, and they cannot immigrate to lower cost zones either. Globalization only benefits the political and economic elites.
Except it blew up. They could not keep the standard of living going for the US "masses". Now the government is doing one last, massive transfer of wealth form the workers to the elites, before the whole thing collapses. The 'stimulus' and bailouts simply re-distribute billions in wealth to Big Finance/Industry from the worker. Only a pittance will ever go to the masses. - notoveryet, on 02/19/2009, -1/+6You smug idiot!! Do you really think that you are immune to an economic collapse? Just what do you do that you think makes you so indispensable when states are resorting to laying off police, firemen, and teachers? Police??? Don't you realize that if our economy tanks, our country's landscape will be a much different place? Don't you realize how many stores are closing and chains are going into bankruptcy? Six Flags? Circuit City? Google it if you don't follow the stock market. It's a bloodbath out there. Businesses can't get credit to buy inventory and couldn't sell it if they did. When the dust settles, are you so sure that your job will still be safe? And what will you buy with your money? Look around you at a landscape devastated by economic ruin. That's right. Sit back in your Holier-Than-Thou self-satisfaction. Just remember this. Economic debacle --- coming soon to a business near you and brought to you courtesy of an irresponsible Bush administration and republican party that is so buried in denial that they really do belong in Egypt! You make me want to vomit!
- DevilInPgh, on 02/19/2009, -0/+5I think you have the classifications mixed up. U3 is reported, U6 you have to hunt for.
-
Show 51 - 100 of 216 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is