Our Views: Two factors in job losses

Almost any way that you cut it, the new — poor — report on job creation in the U.S. economy is not encouraging.

The addition of 115,000 jobs in April is far below the pace needed to reduce serious levels of unemployment, even if the actual unemployment rate went down to 8.1 percent.

It’s not that the economy is in a free-fall, as a series of reports over the course of the week showed that the recovery from the 2008 recession continues to be reflected in productivity and other gains in industrial production. The outlook isn’t that bad — it is just that the large numbers of jobless folks are not getting back into the labor force fast enough.

The slight fall in the unemployment rate was caused in part by fewer people seeking work.

“About half of the decline in the labor force can be explained by demographic factors. Baby boomers are retiring, and fewer teenagers work nowadays,” The Washington Post reported. “This would be happening even if the economy were healthy. But the other half is due to the slack in hiring.” Still, it’s not good news that the labor force is shrinking, whatever the reason.

Comments

1) Comment by Scrooge - 10/05/2012

Whatnow vociferously claims: "It's the mindset of this last couple of generations of wanting it all, wanting it now and not working for it even if they have to take it from those who do work. Too much tax money is given to those lazy greedy types. Now who's greedy?" As in ad hominem tu quoque, a claim loses its luster when it can so easily be used against the claimoront or would that be claimain't? YOU should always try to spell things correctly.

2) Comment by Whatnow - 09/05/2012

@Scrooge, you said "Whatnow is right, cut medicare and social security so those greedy senior types won't take advantage." That is not what I said and you know it. Don't put your words into my mouth. At least the majority of seniors worked to receive some of what they paid into Medicare and SS. Why are they worse than those who don't have to work or refuse to work because they are taken care of by the government?

3) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 08/05/2012

"Because our working-age population increased by 180,000 during the month..." Really? if working age is 18, most of these people are still in high school. Are they all "discouraged workers"?

4) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 08/05/2012

the true picture. CHART: Economy Has Recovered All Private Sector Jobs Lost Since Obama Took Office ---http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/04/478368/478368/

5) Comment by Scrooge - 08/05/2012

Without the socialist government bailout of AIG, agagent wouldn't have a job. An insurance agent who stretches the truth and makes up statistics is a great example of the reasons why government regulation of predatory business practices is needed. There are plenty of jobs for seniors, Whatnow is right, cut medicare and social security so those greedy senior types won't take advantage. "They just don't have to or want to work", plenty of Walmart greeter jobs out there. 8.6 is evidently incapable of creating a good insult, much less a reasoned argument, probably due to medicare funded medications.

6) Comment by agagent - 08/05/2012

In summary, Obama policies are lowering the BLS unemployment rate by discouraging job-seekers from looking for work because the unemployed believe there are no jobs available.

7) Comment by agagent - 08/05/2012

"A total of 342,000 American's gave up looking for jobs in April. Because our working-age population increased by 180,000 during the month, the ranks of discouraged workers increased by at least 463,000 during April."--Woodhill

8) Comment by agagent - 08/05/2012

"The exodus of discouraged Americans from the workforce, which is the big ongoing story of Obama's so-called economic recovery, continued in earnest during April. Labor force participation, which is the percentage of working-age adults who either have jobs or are looking for work, fell to 63.6%, which is the lowest level since December 1981."--Woodhill

9) Comment by agagent - 08/05/2012

“The number of people with jobs (BLS Household Survey) declined for the second month in a row, falling by 169,000 in April after easing by 31,000 in March. This means that there were 200,000 fewer Americans with jobs in April than there were in February.”-- Louis Woodhill, Real Clear Politics

10) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 08/05/2012

oh, 8.6, Mr. regressive...they have said nothing new and nothing factual, much like nay of your posts. Let me recap their tired overwrought arguments. Unions bad, Green energy bad, Keystone good, Takers vs. Makers, Job creators taxed too much, , businesses are afraid to spend, blah blah blah.

11) Comment by 8point6 - 08/05/2012

No need for me to comment. agagent and Whatnow said it all.

12) Comment by Whatnow - 08/05/2012

@jobo, who bailed out all those capitalists at GM? Who gives out all that money to failing capitalist Soylandra and other green industries that take the money and run? The person in the White House that doesn't walk the talk. Do you think that union workers who support Obama work cheap? They are capitalists, too. I still like the saying that poor people do not hire workers. And I don't see many college grads stocking shelves at Wal-Mart or slinging burgers at Burger KIng. There are plenty of jobs for teenagers. They just don't have to or want to work. Everywhere I go I see wanted signs. It's the mindset of this last couple of generations of wanting it all, wanting it now and not working for it even if they have to take it from those who do work. Too much tax money is given to those lazy greedy types. Now who's greedy?

13) Comment by jobo - 07/05/2012

Fewer teenagers work nowadays because there are fewer jobs for them--a lot of their jobs are taken up by college students and even college grads. agagent, Obama isn't the problem--it's that too many of the rich are hanging on to too much of their money. The noble Captains of Industry, or Job Creators as you might call them, aren't hiring, and they're certainly not paying their fair share of taxes so that the government might figure out other ways for people to work. The problem isn't too much socialism; actually, it's too much capitalism--or "greed" might be an easier term for you to understand. Capitalism gave us 2008 and now it's giving us 2012. Enjoy the ride.

14) Comment by agagent - 07/05/2012

Obama policies which have increased the cost of doing business and hamper private sector employment: higher energy costs (restrict permits on federal lands, denying Keystone pipeline, closing coal mines and power plants), higher health insurance costs and higher health care costs(Obamacare), higher cost of excessive federal regulations, higher cost of unemployment insurance, higher labor costs (requiring union workers for federal construction projects), etc. Tighter credit markets caused by Dodd-Frank and plans to increase taxes on capitol gains will deprive businesses of needed capitol and decrease employment. The fear and uncertainty caused the unsustainable federal spending ($5 trillion added to the national debt in 3 years) hamper job private sector job creation and causes businesses to avoid risks with its capitol.

15) Comment by agagent - 07/05/2012

The unemployment rate declined because of the large number of discouraged workers who stopped looking for work and no longer considered a part of the labor force. They left the labor force because they felt there was no hope of finding employment and not due retirements or teenagers not working. When the discouraged workers are factored in the real unemployment rate is above 11%. The number of jobs created was not enough to lower unemployment because it was below the level needed to accommodate new workers entering the labor force due to population growth.