Are you a 45 percenter, & what's your impression of Obama’s economy compared to income & livelihood under Bush?

Question

New unemployment figures are available again with the release of March data from the BLS. This month, the generously hiked Seasonally Adjusted figure for Americans counted as employed by BLS statisticians came back to earth after a million-and-a-half jobs were added using judgment-based metrics while the Unadjusted counts showed an actual loss of 303,000 jobs on Series Report LNU02000000 over the four months ending in February. This time, the March Seasonally Adjusted count showed a net loss of 31,000 jobs on SR LNS12000000.

One of the more accurate counts of unemployed workers is released every Thursday showing new claimants for unemployment during the prior week, but they’ve been subject to correction for incomplete or inaccurate counts like they were for the past two Thursdays. Last week’s originally reported 348,000 new claimants was corrected to show 364,000 Americans who lost jobs and income during the third week of March. Just as the count had been reported in each of the prior weeks ahead of corrected figures which the press conveniently ignores, news releases echoed a claim that the April 5 figure fell to a four year low of 357,000 new claimants for the week ending March 31, 2012.

The actual figure and corrections aren't as important as the overall rate of more than a million-and-a-half newly unemployed Americans who’ve filed for unemployment during each of President Obama’s 39 months in Office thus far. A weekly average topping 400,000 for the Obama Administration’s 166 weeks at the helm adds up to more than 66 million Americans who’ve filed for unemployment because of job losses since his inauguration in January 2009. Using the Employment Level data released by the BLS, that stunning number shows fully 45 percent of the American workforce in place when Obama took Office have lost jobs under this President. Like most other BLS data, the futility has reached historic levels on a range of counts which broadened statistical measures of employment post World War II. And the stunning, inarguable 45 percent doesn't include individual contractors or small businesses that have gone under, because they’re ineligible for unemployment and don't register with these otherwise mostly accurate counts.

If we’re trying to give a reflective picture of the country’s employment woes, it’s necessary to include another 13 million-plus college, high school, and trade school graduates who’ve tried to secure a place in the economy with jobs that don��t exist. If you add the 3.4 million H1B visas issued to legal immigrants who've found and secured a commitment for work to be eligible for such a visa to another 4-6 million illegal alien newcomers, 90 percent of whom are from Mexico according to summary data from DHS statistics, insourced workers appear to count in the 7.5 to 10 million range. Together, the groups have contributed another 20-million-plus prospective workers in search of jobs. Added to the 66 million new claimants from verifiable job losses, it’s clear that upwards of 86 million Americans have spent frustrating lengths of time and energy in search of work under the Food Stamp President. At least with historic increases in social services rolls like the 14.9 million Americans enrolled for SNAP in just three years, struggling Americans have some modest means for survival available. Most would rather have jobs.

Since media reports continue to suggest an improving economy, although nowhere near the 7.1% Unadjusted unemployment rate handed off to Obama in January of 2009 (LNU04000000), which remains the only month during Bush's 96 months as President to reach the 7% plateau, the question here is intended to ask for personal impressions from the Y!A Community. 

Are you part of the 45% who’ve lost jobs since Obama took Office and how does the media reported recovery appear to have touched you personally? Do you see an economy that's improving, personal circumstances that have changed, or is the media spinning a tale to mislead for political reasons once again?

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/srgate

Charles the 4th · Accepted Answer

Your message about 45 percent of the workforce having lost jobs since Obama became President and the unprecedented nadir reaching more than 86 million job seekers under our 44th President are spot on and supportable with a range of government and private employment statistics pieced together. Consider the following observation that includes the Federal Reserve’s count of available but Not in Labor Force unemployed along with words of wisdom from Bill Wilson posted in the Daily Jot for Monday, April 9, 2012.

“The Bible says of the latter days, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13)”. Such appears to be the case as the news media and the White House claim economic victory saying the unemployment rate has dropped from 8.3 percent to 8.2 percent. The idea seems to be to convince the American people that they are better off than they think and that the economy is improving. It is not. Don’t fall for it. The shell game before the November elections has started. Spinning the numbers is the order of the day. Keeping control of Congress and the White House by a ruling class through deception and misdirection is the game.

The Federal Reserve reports that those “Not in the Labor Force” have reached a record 87,897,000. Those Not in the Labor Force are considered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as those who have no job and are not looking for one. BLS says that “discouraged workers” are those not currently looking for work because they believe no job is available to them in their line of work, they have been unable to find work, perhaps do not have the skills to find work, or employers are discriminating against them for some reason. During the month of March, for example, there were 865,000 discouraged workers and 1.5 million who did not look for work during March.

BLS says that the number of unemployed persons--those who do not have a job, but are still looking for one--totaled 12.7 million, representing 8.2 percent of the workforce. There are approximately 154,878,000 in the total American workforce. If you add the number of unemployed to the number of those not in the labor force divided by the total workforce, you will find that the actual unemployment rate is about 65%. This is an astounding number that no one can even begin to fathom. Of course, BLS, Congress and the White House would argue that those “Not in the Labor Force” cannot be considered part of unemployment anymore because they are no longer employable or seeking a job. 

The impact of sending jobs overseas, creating over $14 trillion of debt, and allowing an illegal workforce has restructured our entire economy. The casualty is the middle class and small business that was once the backbone of our nation and the job creators of our society. Is it any wonder that gasoline prices combined with unemployment are crushing our nation’s economic ability? It would appear that unless fundamental changes are made away from socialism, that the critical mass of economic hardship has yet to strike full force. What to do? Yeshua says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of YHVH, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The Lord will provide, but we need to do the right thing.”

Trekd · Answer

It was better under Bush.  Ever since the democrats took control of congress and senate in 2008, the democrats started changing a lot of monetary policies that created the recession in the last year of Bush's term.  Did they do it to have a republican scapegoat to blame things on so they can be sure a democratic president gets elected or did they really believe their policies actually was going to improve things?

Judging how fast they were to blame Bush and his oil buddies when gas reached $3/gallon, they are awfully quiet now that gas is $4/gallon.

How can it still be Bush's fault when Obama has been president for the past 3.5 years?

Just a Veteran · Answer

I served as a soldier under both Pres. Bush's.   They both started wars and put the economy in the toilet and both ensured that a Democrat took the blame.  Well the only reason why its not coming back faster is that those that voted for Pres Obama and VP Biden fell asleep during local elections and allowed the Congress to become Rep.  And now everything is just stuck and of course its Pres Obama's fault.   But its not it is OUR fault and we need to grow up and stick together.  We all lived on credit thru the good times and now its time to pay the bill!

Anonymous · Answer

What little economic improvement he is boasting of is largely smoke and mirrors, And at what cost? Five Trillion dollars of New Debt? WOW!

The plaza by my house is still over fifty percent vacant. Eight years ago, when Bush was running for a second term, Not only was it full, but all the stores had Help Wanted signs in the window. 

That pretty much says it all.

Golfer · Answer

What jobs?  very few private jobs which produces taxes, but Obama is hiring government workers who get paid by taxes and that is unsustainable.
Unemployment is suppose to be 8.3% but the government quiet counting over 2 million jobs so the same numbers used 5 years ago would make unemployment 10.5 % and real unemployment over 20%.
Producers to the economy oppose Obama while communist/socialist and takers approve of Obama.

Paul Grass™ · Answer

The figures that the government releases always are manipulated to favor the government, even when they are false. More people are out of work and not being counted because their benefits expired, prices are sky rocketing, gas and groceries which are never counted in inflation reports have taken a major hit on our wallets. We can not afford four more years of this economic insanity, in my opinion

Anonymous · Answer

price now is roughly what it was at the end of the Bush administration: $3.69 in sept 2008 vs $3.66 about a week ago. Bush swore to us that allowing drilling would drive prices down, maybe he was partly right.

Anonymous · Answer

A solid 40% decrease since Obama here.
25% of those who used to supply me business, are out of business. The rest have cut way back. A few new, very few.

Vote your wallet.

? · Answer

Under Bush I had money.  Under Obama I have heartburn.

L.T.M. · Answer

I'm one of those individual contractors and it's been a rough ride. Cut prices to the bone to keep working and picked up a weekend job. This prez is clueless!

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Are you a 45 percenter, & what's your impression of Obama’s economy compared to income & livelihood under Bush?

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