Economy sheds another 84,000 jobs

[nathangdad]

in August for a total of 605,000 jobs this year per NYTimes story out 33 minutes ago (1:30 P.M. CST).

This is a crisis within our borders. I pray none of your are affected although common sense tells me some our members and posters must be affected.

This month's "shed" is heavily populated by over 25 year olds.

Good luck to all of you and your families.

[Coeloptera]

Yaaaaaaaay!

Oh wait...that's bad.

Now you know why I'm working 60 hour weeks for the next 1.5 months.

Never hurts to get some distance ahead.

- Coeloptera

[LarryO1970]

... I'm curious to know how many of those jobs that were lost are in the Automotive Industry due to the excessive cost of gas that the Environmentalists lobbied for?

[Coeloptera]

Yes...because it's the greenies that force Exxon to make the largest corporate profit in the history of humanity. The greenies also cause OPEC to jack prices when they want too or cause regional instability in the Middle East.

Damn them.

- Coeloptera

[nathangdad]

The news story did not give a breakdown of jobs lost by industry.
Somehow, 605,000 jobs lost is so large a disaster perhaps it no longer matters what industry or industries are involved.

Pray for all those people and all those families.

[The_Patriot]

Ugh.

[Ghost]

I don't want to be a downer, but I was one of those 605,000 people. The official reason, "our company cannot afford you!" I was willing to take a paycut, then I found out that my bosses boss just got a new Mercedes on the company tab. I took the severance and left.....

What now???? I moved to a small town a little over a year ago so I could raise my kids in a safe place and I could afford to live well. But now, no jobs locally and no leads. I know 8 other people that got the same treatment by my company and many more in my state. I guess it's time to start over again.

Thanks for letting me rant......

[The_Patriot]

Originally Posted by Coeloptera

Yes...because it's the greenies that force Exxon to make the largest corporate profit in the history of humanity. The greenies also cause OPEC to jack prices when they want too or cause regional instability in the Middle East.

Damn them.

- Coeloptera

I hear this all the time...about the oil profits.

Tell me, if you know (I honestly don't), what is the profit MARGIN for oil companies? I suspect there are a ton of well-known companies making a higher profit margin than oil companies.

I'm not being sarcastic, I'd really like to know. The sheer number of oil sales and profits doesn't matter to me as much as their profit margin. I don't think (maybe I'm wrong) that we're getting gouged by "big" oil as much as we are on the trip to Wal-Mart.

[The_Patriot]

Originally Posted by Ghost

I don't want to be a downer, but I was one of those 605,000 people. The official reason, "our company cannot afford you!" I was willing to take a paycut, then I found out that my bosses boss just got a new Mercedes on the company tab. I took the severance and left.....

What now???? I moved to a small town a little over a year ago so I could raise my kids in a safe place and I could afford to live well. But now, no jobs locally and no leads. I know 8 other people that got the same treatment by my company and many more in my state. I guess it's time to start over again.

Thanks for letting me rant......

What do you do? How old are you?

I often come off insensitive in such matters (I apologize if I am now), but I've always believed that if you work hard enough to arm yourself with valuable skills, you'll find work. But then again, I've lived most of my life around big cities--it's probably quite different in small towns. There are always jobs in cities if people want to really work. Maybe you can use this opportunity to get some kind of valuable training and do something different? Do you have local resources that can help get you training?

Is it possible you can move? My son is 8 and he's already lived in 3 big cities...including D.C. and Las Vegas. There's nothing wrong with raising a kid in the city, as long as you stay on the right side of the tracks and get them in good schools. Our area of Vegas was as clean and safe as anywhere I've ever been...kind of ironic for Sin City, but it was a fantastic place to raise a kid.

[LarryO1970]

Originally Posted by Coeloptera

Yes...because it's the greenies that force Exxon to make the largest corporate profit in the history of humanity. The greenies also cause OPEC to jack prices when they want too or cause regional instability in the Middle East.

Damn them.

- Coeloptera

Their 4% while the Govt. makes 15% ? I wish there was a breakdown on the jobs lost and why, this way they could be brought back... if at all possible.

This may help : http://www.taxfoundation.org/publica...show/1139.html

[The_Patriot]

I just went to the Department of Labor's web site to look at historical unemployment rates. It appears to me--an untrained economist--that unemployment rates around 6 percent are quite common in our past. 7, 8 and even 10+ were listed.

Additionally, from what I recall about worldwide rates, the United States is still doing pretty darn well.

Is the purpose of this thread to put us into a panic? Or to tell us how bad Bush has been for the economy? Or something else? This seems like business as usual, in a historical sense.

I also took a look at the Clinton years (notice I am respectful); there were 32 months of 6+ percent unemployment under Clinton; only 8 under GWB. Before I get spat on for pointing this out, my point isn't as mean as you might think--I tend to think the economy and unemployment has a LOT more to do with other factors than the man in the top office. I just wanted to make the point that these numbers happen under every administration and the world's problems aren't all Bush's fault.

Now that I'm already on a rant, many of you remember the 70s, right? I was pretty young, but I remember a bad economy. I remember nobody going out to eat; nobody spending money in malls, etc. This is NOT a bad economy. I just drove across the country and you can't get into a Cracker Barrel, TGIF's or Olive Garden without a 90 minute wait. The malls around here is FULL of people spending money. Heck, I had to wait 3 days for a tee time at one of the local youth courses (and it ws $60 for me and my son!). Nope, I don't subscribe to this idea of the bad economy. I just haven't seen much personal evidence of this...to the contrary, I see lots of people earning and spending. NOTHING like the 70s.

[Coeloptera]

Originally Posted by LarryO1970

Their 4% while the Govt. makes 15% ? I wish there was a breakdown on the jobs lost and why, this way they could be brought back... if at all possible.

This may help : The Tax Foundation - State and Federal Treasuries "Profit" More from Gasoline Sales than U.S. Oil Industry

No, no. Your figures are accurate. I just have my doubt gas prices are impacting an auto industry that was having factory closings before the prices jumped up, is all. Interestingly, Chrysler's plastic supplier went bankrupt in February.

Chrysler's plastics supplier declares bankruptcy - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Plastics are usually hydrocarbon based, but not subject to a gas tax.

This is indeed, apparently much bigger for some reason.

- Coeloptera

[GlockMeister]

Bet George Bush gets all the blame also? At least the Democrats will be pointing the finger at him that's for sure. Or maybe they'll say something about McCain has the same thing in store for America and Americans. Like the House and Senate, which are controlled by the Dems, had nothing to do with it? It's a combination of many things as to why this is happening. Not just one persons fault.

[NRAJOE]

The wifes department is being phased out in January (Medical transcriptionist State of Ohio) after 9 yrs. ($18.25 an hr)

But she has a real good chance of getting the Assistance Director job in another department ($25.00 an hr)

She has to take a couple classes to get the job though...4 months to do it though and shes good friends with the woman who says yes/no to the applicants...shes walking her through what she needs.

I'm still plugging along doing Security at a cookie factory 11 hrs a night (Mon-Thurs 7:30 pm-6:30 am)

[The_Patriot]

Originally Posted by NRAJOE

The wifes department is being phased out in January (Medical transcriptionist State of Ohio) after 9 yrs. ($18.25 an hr)

But she has a real good chance of getting the Assistance Director job in another department ($25.00 an hr)

She has to take a couple classes to get the job though...4 months to do it though and shes good friends with the woman who says yes/no to the applicants...shes walking her through what she needs.

I'm still plugging along doing Security at a cookie factory 11 hrs a night (Mon-Thurs 7:30 pm-6:30 am)

I hope she gets it. That's what I was writing about earlier. Let me say that I have been BLESSED that my wife and I have always had good work, but I would like to think if one of us ever lost our job, we'd be looking to make an opportunity out of it and find something even better...even if it meant we had to take classes or get trained.

I believe in the American story...that if you work hard and PLAN to make a good future, that good future will be there for you.

I realize that many times life derails things, so I am compassionate to those that are overwhelmed, but in a general sense, hard work=good things.

[The_Patriot]

Originally Posted by NRAJOE

The wifes department is being phased out in January (Medical transcriptionist State of Ohio) after 9 yrs. ($18.25 an hr)

But she has a real good chance of getting the Assistance Director job in another department ($25.00 an hr)

She has to take a couple classes to get the job though...4 months to do it though and shes good friends with the woman who says yes/no to the applicants...shes walking her through what she needs.

I'm still plugging along doing Security at a cookie factory 11 hrs a night (Mon-Thurs 7:30 pm-6:30 am)

Good Lord! I missed the cookie factory thing. I would weigh 4-fiddy if I were around cookies for 11 hours a day!

[Coeloptera]

Originally Posted by NRAJOE

I'm still plugging along doing Security at a cookie factory 11 hrs a night (Mon-Thurs 7:30 pm-6:30 am)

You...help make sure there are cookies?

YOU ARE MY NEW BEST FRIEND!



OM NOM NOM NUM-NUM!

- Coeloptera

[Rambo]

Originally Posted by GlockMeister

Bet George Bush gets all the blame also? At least the Democrats will be pointing the finger at him that's for sure. Or maybe they'll say something about McCain has the same thing in store for America and Americans. Like the House and Senate, which are controlled by the Dems, had nothing to do with it? It's a combination of many things as to why this is happening. Not just one persons fault.

I noticed McCain mentioned the current economic conditions regarding the loss of jobs NOT ONCE last night during his speech. But he did go on and on about his life. There's a guy who is really in tune or even concerned about the economic conditions of our workforce.

[TXplt]

Originally Posted by The_Patriot

I hear this all the time...about the oil profits.

Tell me, if you know (I honestly don't), what is the profit MARGIN for oil companies? I suspect there are a ton of well-known companies making a higher profit margin than oil companies.

I'm not being sarcastic, I'd really like to know. The sheer number of oil sales and profits doesn't matter to me as much as their profit margin. I don't think (maybe I'm wrong) that we're getting gouged by "big" oil as much as we are on the trip to Wal-Mart.

8.3% (8.3 cents per dollar on Gross receipts--before taxes--is the last figure I saw). Electronics are 14.5%. Oil makes just a little less than GE does, return wise--about the same as any other industry in our country. There was a good Wall St Journal piece on this, and what gross buffoonery o's "windfall profits tax" is (I'll not say more to keep this apolitcal, but you can find the threads elsewhere on the economic stuff). The numbers are big because the sales are big.


"big oil" is gouging no more than any other industry.

[The_Patriot]

Originally Posted by TXplt

The numbers are big because the sales are big.


"big oil" is gouging no more than any other industry.

That's about what I expected. And exactly my point.

"Big Oil" is no more evil than any other company out there trying to make money in the free market.

The oil industry provides us with a product we want and pays a crapload of taxes to the government. I see more good in them than evil.