OT: Unemployment drops to 4.7 percent

(a) That was ironic humour. Irony tends to simplify for effect's sake. (b) If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, etc...

And I am confident New England and California have their share of rednecks. They probably go by other names in those places. Here in the UK, we have local breeds and our own terms for 'em. Exact flavour varies; it comes down to narrow-view thinking that serves comfortable, ignorant, selfish interests, adding a willingness to shut up any who disagree by abrupt and/or violent means.

If employment is so low, I wonder why I'm not seeing "now hiring" and "help wanted" signs in every shop window like I did in the late 1990s? In fact, I haven't seen those signs anywhere in years.

I know several people who got high-paying tech jobs in the late 1990s without any degree other than high school or a GED. This decade, I've not seen that happen and in fact I know some very qualified, experienced and educated people applying all over the place and not getting a single phone call!

The 4.7% figure is utter bullshit. I am not blaming Bush for the current high unemployment or crediting Clinton for the low unemployment during the last half of his time in office. What I am concerned with is that the official unemployment figures are worthless when it comes to describing the job market in the USA. When they're high they're used by the opposition party to tear down the incumbent and vice-versa when they're low.

Is there any way to get realistic unemployment figures?

Didn't I see you on Family Guy one time?

And they spelled your name wrong.

Not only that, but when you were in the scene with Brian, you were a Prius!!!

Because you were seeing them in shop windows; most new jobs now are in Manufacturing or Customer Service, at least where I'm from.

The 'Burger Flipper' jobs Clintoon created just aren't in demand anymore, and there are plenty of High School kids to fill them again.

Where do you live that there is still high unemployment? You have got to be kidding. You obviously do not know anybody that owns a business. The only people that can not find a job today are those that do not have a skill or degree. Toyota is having problems getting enough people to fill the technical jobs in it new Texas plant. They are offering sign up bonus and recruiting in other states but they do not offer enough money to get techs to move.

For every job available in the state of Pennsylvania there are only three qualified people available to fill them. Companies do not want to expand, or come into the state, because of the lack of skilled workers. It is only getting worse, as the boomers retire. Many companies today are happy if they to get an employee who will come to work on time, stay through the shift, not report off the next day and can be trained to do the work is. In my former fleet service business the current owner is paying highly qualified techs in the six figure range. Any tradesman today can almost name his own price. The biggest reason hurricane repairs are so far behind is lack of skilled workers, by the thousands. Do a bit of research, WBMA

mike hunt

Massachusetts...the Western part. When the rest of the country is doing great, we're in recession.

When the rest of the country is in recession, we're near depression...

Problem is that companies don't want to train workers these days. If they would do a bit of training they would have no problem finding employees.

Motivated employees seek their own training. I'm proof. Former high school dropout, now a Credit Manager / six figure income.

-- Mike Harris Austin, TX