Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Obamacare: Grumbling is not enough

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It is amazing how fast momentum can shift in politics. And it usually happens for reasons that could not have been predicted.
Case in point: only a month ago, the reckless shutdown of the federal government left its engineers -- the tea party and the Republican Party -- weakened, and the president and Democrats energized and with the wind at their back.
And beyond Washington, the people's movement in the shutdown's wake was energized too.
But this newly acquired momentum turned out to be far more momentary than most anticipated, myself included. In fact, it lasted only a few days. Why? Because Republicans seized the opportunity provided by the big problems with the rollout of the Affordable Health Care Act. They were all over it, with the help of compliant corporate media.
Literally, overnight the atmosphere changed for the worse. President Obama and Democrats, rather than riding a wave, found themselves on the defensive. And the Republicans' shutdown disaster became a distant memory.
Now, if the health insurance exchanges are running smoothly by the end of the year, as they appear to be in many states, much of the furor will die out. But if they aren't, Obamacare will be turned by the far right into a metaphor for "broken government" and the prospects of unseating Republicans in Congress and statehouses next fall will become problematic.
Which means that grumbling about the problems of the health care rollout heard in some progressive and left circles needs to give way to actively resisting the right wing's campaign to kill Obamacare and regain the initiative leading into the midterm and 2016 elections.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Former Secret Service Agent Says Obama’s True ‘Religion is Government’

Dan Bongino is a 12-year Secret Service veteran who recently announced that after protecting President Barack Obama for four years he would be leaving his job to run for Congress in Maryland as a Republican. Bongino appeared on Steve Malzberg’s NewsMax show Friday to both discuss his campaign and promote his new book, Life Inside the Bubble.
Asked to explain the difference between Obama and President George W. Bush, who he spent most of his Secret Service career protecting, Bongino said Obama “does what’s best for his ideology.” Alluding to those who don’t believe the president is Christian, he said, “his religion is government, and when your religion is government you do anything to further that.”
Bongino accused Obama of making major leadership decisions based on “faith” rather than “evidence.” Using the troubled rollout of the Affordable Care Act as an example, he said “just like someone trying to tell you, if you’re a Christian, Jesus Christ didn’t exist… it’s his faith in government that despite the evidence, he sticks to it no matter what.”
“I believe he’s a Christian, because he says a Christian,” Malzberg responded. He wanted to know from Bongino whether Obama joined a church for “political expediency” or because he’s actually a “religious man.”
Bongino admitted that he did not get the chance to meet with Obama on a “personal” level and would not know what he does on his own time, but, he reiterated, “my impression of him is his religion really is government.”
Watch video below, via NewsMax:
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Monday, November 11, 2013

The European Crisis (and American Future?) of too Many Over-Compensated Bureaucrats

The only sustainable way of achieving more prosperity and higher living standards is to increase the quality and quantity of labor and capital in the economy.
This may sound like boring econo-speak, but labor and capital are the two “factors of production” and our ability to consume is limited by what we can produce.
That’s one of the reasons why it’s important to reduce the burden of government spending.
People sometimes assume it’s important to reduce the budget to lower the threat of tax hikes. That is a good reason to impose fiscal discipline, but it’s presumably even more important to restrain spending because we don’t want labor and capital being misallocated by fiscal policy.
A big public sector, after all, presumably means a large bureaucracy. And when you have lots of people employed by government, that means that they’re not working in the private sector. In other words, they’re consuming economic output rather than adding to economic output.*
Or, as these cartoons illustrate, they’re riding in the wagon rather than pulling the wagon.
This is why advocates of economic growth should strive to limit the amount of bureaucrats and how much they’re paid. The bad news is that the public sector is far too large in the United States, and that means (as explained in this video) we have too many over-compensated bureaucrats.

Friday, October 25, 2013

REPORT: GOVERNMENT BENEFIT RECIPIENTS OUTNUMBER FULL-TIME WORKERS

Americans who were recipients of means-tested government benefits in 2011 outnumbered year-round full-time workers, according to data released this month by the Census Bureau.

They also out-numbered the total population of the Philippines.
There were 108,592,000 people in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2011 who were recipients of one or more means-tested government benefit programs, the Census Bureau said in data released this week. Meanwhile, according to the Census Bureau, there were 101,716,000 people who worked full-time year round in 2011. That included both private-sector and government workers.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Trust in Government Nears Record Low, But Most Federal Agencies Are Viewed Favorably

Public trust in the government, already quite low, has edged even lower in a survey conducted just before the Oct. 16 agreement to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.
Trust in Government Again Near  All-Time LowJust 19% say that they trust the government in Washington to do what is right just about always or most of the time, down seven points since January. The current measure matches the level reached in August 2011, following the last battle over the debt ceiling. Explore a Pew Research interactive on Public Trust in Government: 1958-2013.
The share of the public saying they are angry at the federal government, which equaled an all-time high in late September (26%), has ticked up to 30%. Another 55% say they are frustrated with the government. Just 12% say they are basically content with the federal government.
Positive Views of Most Agencies, Federal WorkersDespite highly negative views of the federal government overall, the public has favorable views of many of its agencies and departments, which were closed by the shutdown. Majorities have favorable opinions of 12 of 13 agencies tested – with the IRS the lone exception (44% favorable).
Federal workers, hundreds of thousands of whom were furloughed during the shutdown, also are viewed positively: By about two-to-one (62% to 29%), more have a favorable than unfavorable opinion of federal government workers.
Views of Congress Remain Overwhelmingly NegativeThe latest national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Oct. 9-13 among 1, 504 adults, finds that just 23% have a favorable opinion of Congress, while 73% have an unfavorable view. Dissatisfaction with Congress also is seen in record anti-incumbent 

Friday, October 18, 2013

Private Charities Stepped Up While Government Was Shut Down

"This man came all the way from China to see the Grand Canyon." Photo by NPCAOver the past two weeks, much media coverage has been devoted to the politicians in Washington, while far less time was spent discussing the ramifications the shutdown had on the lives of furloughed federal workers. The people who work for non-essential segments of the federal government are working to put food on the table and take care of their kids like any other individuals working in the private sector. So while it’s easy to chuckle and point out that life went mostly unchanged in the partial shutdown, there were people immediately affected by it.
In an ideal situation, there would be enough private sector jobs to absorb the number of people employed in the unnecessary parts of federal government. It’s tempting to look at an index of government positions and cross out all of the extraneous agencies and departments. However, while the economy isn’t all bad, it’s pretty plain that there are simply not enough available jobs for this to be feasible.
Furloughed federal workers will receive retroactive pay, but not until the government reopened of course. Until then, there was no paycheck coming in.
This had some Capitol Hill workers fretting over making various payments if the shutdown kept dragging on. It’s likely that many federal workers would have “[fou]nd themselves in a serious financial bind if they miss[ed] two paychecks.” There are those who had retroactive pay coming, but still could not afford to put food on the table, as they were already living paycheck to paycheck.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Spy on You

Trusting the government costs you your privacy, your freedom, and even your stability


People who use black tape to cover the cameras on their home and office computers, iPads, tablets and cell phones,  can no longer be written off as ‘paranoids’.

The big portals showing the masses what the government is really up to all came last April, and until Obama’s gone from the White House, civilian life will never be the same.

It was last April when a judge in Texas denied a request by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for what he described as a warrant to remotely “hack a computer suspected of criminal use”, raising questions about the legal requirement for the government to use computer hacking techniques in investigations. (Wall Street Journal, April 23, 2013).

“By “surreptitiously installing software”—a technique typically associated with computer hackers—investigators are able to infiltrate computers and gather extensive information, according to a document in the case.

“The judge’s order said the data the FBI could obtain includes “search terms that the user entered into any Internet search engine, and records of user-typed Web addresses.

“The government also is seeking email contents, documents and chat-messaging logs on the computer, as well as to take photographs for 30 days using the computer’s built-in camera, the document states.” (emphasis CFP’s).

So Big Brother Government does have the ability to watch you right on your handy computer’s built-in camera.


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

President Crisis And The Wishful Thinking Brigade

featured-imgThe hallmark of the Obama era is government of, for and by crisis. Elected amid (or possibly because of) a financial crisis, the Panic of 2008, President Obama has spent his time in office lurching from disaster to disaster.

Obama’s reflexes, praised instinctive timing and audacious as a candidate, turn out to be poorly suited to high office. Obama has been mostly reactive and mostly captive to events. Veering here and there is part of being president. The world is big and dangerous and governance is hard. But watching Obama govern is like watching a distracted man flipping through television channels and all of it bad.

“If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”(flip) Never mind. (flip) We must bomb Syria now! (flip) Er, scratch that. (flip) Al Qaeda is on the run. (flip) It depends on what you mean by “core al Qaeda.” (flip)
Some of the crises have been self-inflected, and sometimes even intentional. Obama’s signature health law, for example, was born of a crisis in Congress. As support for the entitlement long sought by liberals was fracturing, even with Democrats in complete control of Washington, the president jammed the throttle down. The crisis of confidence demanded that a poorly constructed law be passed. Now! Now! Don’t think. Don’t read. Just vote.

That decision, of course, has led to other crises. The one playing out now is the risible implementation of the law. Democrats are all dripping with glib swipes about how Republicans have been waging a very messy civil war amid the partial government shutdown. But the Democrats are pushing their confident chuffles through gritted teeth. They know that the launch has been damaging, and if unrepaired, possibly fatal to the law. However the current budget debacle ends, the ObamaCare debacle has just begun.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Two Things Washington Cannot Ignore

Members of Congress are still at an impasse—they cannot agree on the debt limit, spending cuts, Obamacare, or funding the government.
The House has passed a variety of bills that would have reopened portions of the federal government, but the Senate has rejected them all. As they volley proposals back and forth, there are two things they cannot ignore.
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1. Obamacare
Obamacare is not even fully implemented, but it is negatively impacting people today. Just look at these responses we received when we asked readers about their health insurance costs. Premiums are going up—by hundreds of dollars per month for many. (Read here about how to send us your cost increases.)
It’s negatively impacting the practice of medicine. See what neurosurgeon and author Dr. Ben Carson told us about Obamacare getting between doctors and patients.
Conservatives across the country have made their voices heard—Obamacare must be stopped. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) told the activists at the Values Voter Summit on Friday thatit is your voices that have helped House Members stand strong against Obamacare. And it’s not time to quit.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

REPORT: OBAMA BRINGS CHILLING EFFECT ON JOURNALISM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. government's aggressive prosecution of leaks and efforts to control information are having a chilling effect on journalists and government whistle-blowers, according to a report released Thursday on U.S. press freedoms under the Obama administration.

The Committee to Protect Journalists conducted its first examination of U.S. press freedoms amid the Obama administration's unprecedented number of prosecutions of government sources and seizures of journalists' records. Usually the group focuses on advocating for press freedoms abroad.

Leonard Downie Jr., a former executive editor of The Washington Post, wrote the 30-page analysis entitled "The Obama Administration and the Press." The report notes President Barack Obama came into office pledging an open, transparent government after criticizing the Bush administration's secrecy, "but he has fallen short of his promise."

"In the Obama administration's Washington, government officials are increasingly afraid to talk to the press," wrote Downie, now a journalism professor at Arizona State University. "The administration's war on leaks and other efforts to control information are the most aggressive I've seen since the Nixon administration, when I was one of the editors involved in The Washington Post's investigation of Watergate."

Downie interviewed numerous reporters and editors, including a top editor at The Associated Press, following revelations this year that the government secretly seized records for telephone lines and switchboards used by more than 100 AP journalists. Downie also interviewed journalists whose sources have been prosecuted on felony charges.

Via: AP

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Friday, October 4, 2013

Senior Admin. Official: 'We Are Winning...It Doesn't Really Matter to Us' When Shutdown Ends

Although the government shutdown continues, it appears President Barack Obama and the White House are not getting any closer to negotiating with Republicans. A quotation from an unnamed senior administration official in today's Wall Street Journal explains why.
Said a senior administration official: "We are winning...It doesn't really matter to us" how long the shutdown lasts "because what matters is the end result."
With this view, it explains why President Obama won't agree to any piecemeal legislation that would keep Veterans Affairs and NIH open during the shutdown. And it explains why President Obama would rather cancel his Asia trip than negotiate with Republicans. 
It's because the White House (or, at least this unnamed official) believe it is "winning" by shutting down the government and blaming Republicans. And when one's winning, he's not likely to change course.
As the Journal details, Obama has also argued that he won't negotiate over the debt ceiling because the stakes are too high. 
Another risk for Mr. Obama is that people may not sympathize with his refusal to negotiate over the debt ceiling. The Treasury Department has said that no later than Oct. 17 it will only have $30 billion in cash—a sum that will be exhausted in one or two weeks, according to the Congressional Budget Office. After that point, Treasury is expected to start falling behind on its bills.
Again, Mr. Obama has vowed not to negotiate, saying the consequences of default would be so severe the matter can't be held hostage to political negotiations. "There will be no negotiations over this," he said Thursday.
Via: Weekly Standard

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Friday, September 20, 2013

Online Health Exchanges Plagued by Pricing Glitch

With less than two weeks to go until the open enrollment period for the Obamacare health exchanges begins, the government’s software still cannot display reliable insurance quotes for consumers, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The problem is causing Obamacare and insurance officials to “scramble” behind the scenes for fear of “alienating” the initial wave of customers:
Less than two weeks before the launch of insurance marketplaces created by the federal health overhaul, the government’s software can’t reliably determine how much people need to pay for coverage, according to insurance executives and people familiar with the program.
Government officials and insurers were scrambling to iron out the pricing quirks quickly, according to the people, to avoid alienating the initial wave of consumers.
A failure by consumers to sign up online in the hotly anticipated early days of the “exchanges” is worrisome to insurers, which are counting on enrollees for growth, and to the Obama administration, which made the exchanges a centerpiece of its sweeping health-care legislation.
If not resolved by the Oct. 1 launch date, the problems could affect consumers in 36 states where the federal government is running all or part of the exchanges. About 32 million uninsured people live in those states, but only a fraction of them are expected to sign up in the next year.
Via: WFB

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Monday, September 16, 2013

Obama Campaign Group Comes Out Swinging – and Scaremongering – on Obamacare

AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKIBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Hill reports that President Obama’s campaign group, Organizing for Action (OFA), is out with a new ad campaign, which contains inaccurate claims about the fight to defund Obamacare.
First, OFA claims that those who want to defund the law “are threatening to shut down the government if Obamacare isn’t dismantled.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
Conservatives don’t want to shut the government down; they do want to shut down Obamacare. And legislation accomplishing both of these objectives—funding all of the federal government except for Obamacare—was introduced last week.
As we’ve previously noted, the only person who wants to shut down the federal government is President Obama himself. The Obama Administration has threatened to veto multiple House-passed spending bills. The Administration made these threats because liberals want to replace sequestration’s spending cuts, agreed to by both parties, with tax increases. And if they don’t get their way, the President and his advisors have pledged to shut down the federal government.
Second, OFA claims that if a shutdown occurs—and as noted above, it would occur only because President Obama wants it to occur—such a scenario “could disrupt Social Security and veterans’ benefits.” That’s just not accurate. As a previous Heritage Foundation fact sheethas noted,
The term shutdown substantially overstates the matter. The most essential services continue, such as: (1) providing for national security, (2) conducting foreign affairs, (3) providing for the continuity of mandatory benefit payments, and (4) protecting life and property. These services include military, law enforcement, veterans care, and others. Social Security checks are still mailed and self-funded agencies like the Postal Service would continue operating.
It couldn’t be more clear: Social Security checks would still get mailed, and the Postal Service would remain in business to mail them.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

‘WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?’ ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TAUGHT IT’S YOUR ‘FAMILY’

Fourth-grade students in Illinois are learning that “government is like a nation’s family” because it sets rules and takes care of needs such as health care and education.
So says a worksheet for social studies homework that was distributed to students at East Prairie School in Skokie, Ill, complete with a drawing of Uncle Same cradling a baby that represents the citizens.
Illinois School Defends Government = Family Homework
The worksheet distributed to fourth-graders at East Prairie School in Skokie, Ill.
Students are then prompted to answer 10 questions comparing government and families, including how their family provides for their health care needs and how the government does the same, and what rules families set and what rules government sets.
The worksheet it titled, “What is Government?” and then goes on to answer that question.
“Government is all of the agencies, departments, organizations, groups, individuals in a nation who make, carry out, enforce, and manage conflicts about rules and laws,” the worksheet says.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Facebook Admits to Sharing Personal Information with Government 26,000 Times in the First Six Months of 2013

featured-imgOn Facebook, you can share posts and pictures with friends.

But at Facebook, they can (and do) share your posts and pictures and personal information with government agents all around the world.

Facebook released a report Tuesday detailing their level of involvement with government requests for data.  Since users willingly share so much about themselves on Facebook and other social media tools, it seems government agencies are looking to take advantage of the information – and Facebook is more than happy to comply.

“As we have said many times, we believe that while governments have an important responsibility to keep people safe, it is possible to do so while also being transparent,” said Colin Stretch, an attorney for the social networking mega-site.  “Government transparency and public safety are not mutually exclusive ideals.”
Stretch assured users that Facebook scrutinizes each request and maintains a “very high legal bar” that governments must clear before users’ private information is passed along.

Even so, the numbers are startling.

In total, Facebook received more than 26,000 separate requests for information about nearly 39,000 different accounts from 72 different national governments during the first six months of 2013.

Via: Watchdog.org


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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Conservatives: Defund Obamacare or shut down the government

This Law Is No FundThe new conservative plan to beatObamacare

Ted Cruz Mike Lee

WASHINGTON — Conservatives on Capitol Hill are drawing a line in the sand: they will not vote to stop the government from shutting down if Obamacare is not defunded.

Led by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, a dozen senators sent a letter Thursday saying they will not support any resolution to continue funding the federal government if President Obama’s health-care law remains funded.
Under current law, the government is funded until Sept. 30, meaning a continuing resolution needs to be passed to keep the government from shutting down.
“The Obama Administration’s recent decision to delay Obamacare’s employer mandate and eligibility verification for the individual exchanges is further proof the law is a failure that will inevitably hurt businesses, American families, and the economy,” Lee said.
“In light of this admission, I and several of my colleagues will be informing Sen. Reid that we will not vote for a continuing resolution that funds Obamacare,” he added.
Among those who signed onto the letter: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
Over in the House, a large contingent of House Republicans are pushing a similar strategy, led by Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina.
“Congressman Meadows is leading a letter, currently co-signed by 66 Members, encouraging House leadership to defund Obamacare through the appropriations process,” spokeswoman Emily Miller told The Daily Caller on Thursday.

How Detroit Almost Killed My Business

Of all the depressing facts about the once great City of Detroit, this to me is the most upsetting:  In 1950, there were about 296,000 manufacturing jobs in Detroit.  Today, there are less than 27,000 (Hat tip Zero Hedge Blog).
Government -- federal, state, and local -- made this happen. I know this from experience. Government corrupted the Detroit work force. That corruption drove away my company too.
Until 1984, I was a business owner in the city, employing about 20.  I moved my business 60 miles away.  I didn't want to leave, but I was, in effect, forced to. 
Many think that crime spurred the exodus of business out of Detroit.  Not in my case.  To combat crime we would build a stronger "fort." We called it "fort building" because if my neighbor put heavy wire screen on his windows, the thieves would break into my shop.  If I bricked up my windows in response, my neighbor might be broken into.  This escalated to the point where many businesses eventually put fencing topped with barbed wire around their buildings.  Still, although "fort building" was expensive, it was far cheaper than moving. 
Detroit's abysmal educational system did not drive me away either. As it happens, my particular business did not require highly educated people. So I could hire high school graduates not literate enough to fill out an application form.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

New year brings hundreds of new laws


It's true. Someday, everything is going to be illegal.
Take California, for instance. Californians will celebrate the new year by welcoming 876 new laws that need bureaucrats to monitor and enforce.
And we wonder why government grows?
Homeowners behind on their mortgage payments and negotiating with their banks to find a way to work things out won't have to worry about getting a surprise foreclosure notice.
Women will have expanded access to birth control, as registered nurses will be able to dispense contraceptives such as the pill.
Apartment dwellers concerned about the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning will be able to breathe easier.
Employers will not be allowed to require workers or job applicants to divulge their social media accounts or provide passwords to them.
Those are among the legal changes in California that will kick in Tuesday as a result of some of the 876 laws signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2012. By historic standards it was a somewhat low number but was the most new laws put on the books in the state since 2006.
Just as an aside, are nurses able to judge drug interactions well enough to allow them to dispense contraceptives? It is amazing that there has been a political decision to allow nurses to do this. There is no medical advantage and, in fact, may prove to be tragic if a nurse mistakenly writes a prescription for the pill for a patient who, for whatever reason, shouldn't get it.


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

U.S. Piled Up More Debt Since Election Day ’08 Than Under All Presidents From Washington Through Clinton


(CNSNews.com) - The federal government has now piled up more debt since Election Day 2008 than it did under all presidents from George Washington through Bill Clinton, according to official debt numberspublished by the U.S. Treasury.
George WashingtonWhen the polls opened on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, the total debt of the U.S. government stood at $10,556,177,748,045.21 (the number it had reached by the close of business on Nov. 3, 2008). As of the close of business on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, the most recent day reported by the Treasury, the total debt of the U.S. government stood at $16,206,129,028,709.29.
That is a four-year increase of $5,649,951,280,664.08.
According to the Treasury, the total debt of the U.S. government last surpassed $5,649,951,280,664.08 on June 21, 2001—five months after George W. Bush succeeded Bill Clinton as president. During the two years leading up to that date, the debt had periodically moved above and below that level, according to the Treasury, but since rising from 5,641,023,159,870.17 on June 20, 2001 to 5,650,400,532,764.38 on June 21, 2001, the debt has never again dropped below $5,649,951,280,664.08.
Thus, the $5,649,951,280,664.08 in new debt accumulated since Americans started voting on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 exceeds the total debt accumulated in the first 224 years after the United States declared independence from England on July 4, 1776. That includes all the debt accumulated during the terms of all of America presidents, starting from George Washington, whose first term began in 1789, and running through Bill Clinton, whose second term ended on Jan. 20, 2001.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Long-Term Unemployment Rises in October to 40.6%

(CNSNews.com) - The long-term unemployment rate rose to 40.6 percent in October, up from September’s level of 40.1 percent of the total unemployed, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday. 

Long-term unemployment is unemployment lasting for 27 consecutive weeks or longer, according to BLS. 

The government reported that just over 5 million people were unemployed for more than six months – 27 weeks – rising from September’s level of 4.8 million. 

Long-term unemployment has remained elevated since the end of the recession in 2009. In January 2009, when President Obama took office, there were 2.7 million long-term unemployed Americans. By August of that year – after the recession had ended in June – that number had crossed the 5 million mark. 

Long-term unemployment remained above 5 million people until September, when it fell to 4.8 million. 
The long-term unemployment rate – the percentage of the unemployed that have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer – has not been below 40 percent since December 2009, suggesting that while the overall unemployment rate has declined steadily, the economy is not creating enough jobs to bring back workers lost during the recession. Instead, the weak jobs growth is merely enough to keep up with the growth in population.(CNSNews.com) - The long-term unemployment rate rose to 40.6 percent in October, up from September’s level of 40.1 percent of the total unemployed, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday. 

Long-term unemployment is unemployment lasting for 27 consecutive weeks or longer, according to BLS. 

The government reported that just over 5 million people were unemployed for more than six months – 27 weeks – rising from September’s level of 4.8 million. 

Long-term unemployment has remained elevated since the end of the recession in 2009. In January 2009, when President Obama took office, there were 2.7 million long-term unemployed Americans. By August of that year – after the recession had ended in June – that number had crossed the 5 million mark. 

Long-term unemployment remained above 5 million people until September, when it fell to 4.8 million. 

The long-term unemployment rate – the percentage of the unemployed that have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer – has not been below 40 percent since December 2009, suggesting that while the overall unemployment rate has declined steadily, the economy is not creating enough jobs to bring back workers lost during the recession. Instead, the weak jobs growth is merely enough to keep up with the growth in population.


Via: CNS News
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