Up we go again. We are 4 weeks after Obama's reelection and the 4th week of higher unemployment.
We are in the Christmas season when people usually get seasonal jobs and jobless figures drop. But thanks to our system of under-reporting and adjusting after the fact and because of higher than expected numbers to begin with, our jobs outlook is not what you would be lead to believe.
Anyone who doesn't see the politics in these numbers simply chooses not to see the reality. It is not a coincidence that the numbers dropped dramatically before the election and rose dramatically after.
The impending Obamacare requirements, the threat of new requirements regarding IRAS and 401Ks, the uncertainty of the budget negotiations and the union demands have businesses pulling back and keeping the status quo, or, in some cases, make preemptive cuts. Couple this with the lack of domestic jobs and blue collar jobs and the prospects for improvement are dim.
The underlying problem is that we do not have the basis for job creation. We are anticipating extending unemployment benefits but not addressing the root of the problem. Until we have a political attitude that encourages small businesses, addresses the housing fiasco, and stops rewarding non-workers we will continue to struggle with higher than necessary jobless numbers.
Charity Eavey
