Exclusive: 4 in 5 in US face near-poverty, no work

[WernherVonTrapp]

This is a bit disconcerting. All those figures that they release periodically about the "jobless rate improving" must be inaccurate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — "Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream.
Survey data exclusive to The Associated Press points to an increasingly globalized U.S. economy, the widening gap between rich and poor and loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs as reasons for the trend.
The findings come as President Barack Obama tries to renew his administration's emphasis on the economy, saying in recent speeches that his highest priority is to "rebuild ladders of opportunity" and reverse income inequality."

2 Sources:
http://www.wfaa.com/news/national/217290501.html

http://azdailysun.com/news/national/...7f1dee08f.html

All those figures that they release periodically about the "jobless rate improving" must be inaccurate.

Not necessarily -people may be finding work, but in insecure jobs, paying low wages. This is nothing new, and merely a reflection of what has happened elsewhere in the world. There is no reason to assume that the U.S. would be immune from the general trend.

[August]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

WASHINGTON (AP) — "Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives

That's kind of a wide net they're casting. My first period of unemployment was in the 1970's. My fathers the 1940's. His fathers the 20's and so on. That doesn't have anything to do with today's problems.

[Platapus]

Good catch August. That "part of their life" is a big loophole.

You don't think those two sources may have a agenda do you? No that would be wrong.

[August]

Yeah they have an agenda but the thing is we've increased our population while at the same time we've sent many of our jobs overseas and automated many others out of existence.

It's like adding weight to a platform while simultaneously knocking out it's supports. Eventually the whole thing is going to come crashing down.

[Armistead]

How they do unemployment numbers is rather silly. Most agree the real number is somewhere between 16-18%.

You would think Obama, the socialist, would see the failure of his programs and spending. Government can't create jobs in a lasting fashion, they can only create an atmosphere for jobs. Seems Obama has done exactly what the GOP has done for years, create an atmosphere where only the elite can get richer, the rest of us poorer.

I am amazed how the cost of everything has increased, yet overall wages have decreased. Only CEO's can claim a 40% increase in wages over the last two years.

America was never prepared for the coming global economy. We passed numerous laws allowing outsourcing of US jobs right before the global economy hit....well planned out and paid for by corporations I expect.

The other scary thing, people living on welfare, food stamps, etc., probably have more income than min. wage jobs, so they don't go looking.
Hard to know the real truth, but many a great mind says we'll face an even worse economic crisis before 2020, one that the govt. won't be able to bail us all out.

Anyway, the only way jobs are coming back is when Americans work for the same pay as those in China or India, building is cheaper, regulations less, taxes lower. If we simply lower taxes, corporations will do as they have in the past when they got a tax holiday, use it to build more plants overseas.

We are falling so far behind overall regarding education, I don't see America leading the world much longer... In reality, as a world power, we had a short run.

[Gargamel]

Part of it is technology.

What was once considered the only essentials to have (Rent, food, water, electric), is only a portion of what comes out of the monthly income of most families.

Cars, TV, Internet, etc.

Yes, they are not truly essentials, but in todays world, at least where I'm at, you're basically a pariah without these.

Good luck filling out a job application without a internet connection. No ISP? just go grab a public wifi access point. Oh, no laptop? Oh just use a public library! Oh, so you frown upon releasing personal info on an unsecured public terminal? Too bad.

It's 28 miles to your new job. Oh, you can't cover the gas money? Get a better car with better mileage....

And on and on.

These Corporations keep jacking up prices for near essential services with no basis other than greed.

Then education.... For a lot of people, it's either put food on their table for their kids, or pay tuition for school.

Sometimes I believe a purely communist society is the way to go.... then I remember humans would be involved.....

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Armistead

How they do unemployment numbers is rather silly. Most agree the real number is somewhere between 16-18%.

You would think Obama, the socialist, would see the failure of his programs and spending. Government can't create jobs in a lasting fashion, they can only create an atmosphere for jobs. Seems Obama has done exactly what the GOP has done for years, create an atmosphere where only the elite can get richer, the rest of us poorer.

I am amazed how the cost of everything has increased, yet overall wages have decreased. Only CEO's can claim a 40% increase in wages over the last two years.

America was never prepared for the coming global economy. We passed numerous laws allowing outsourcing of US jobs right before the global economy hit....well planned out and paid for by corporations I expect.

The other scary thing, people living on welfare, food stamps, etc., probably have more income than min. wage jobs, so they don't go looking.
Hard to know the real truth, but many a great mind says we'll face an even worse economic crisis before 2020, one that the govt. won't be able to bail us all out.

Anyway, the only way jobs are coming back is when Americans work for the same pay as those in China or India, building is cheaper, regulations less, taxes lower. If we simply lower taxes, corporations will do as they have in the past when they got a tax holiday, use it to build more plants overseas.

We are falling so far behind overall regarding education, I don't see America leading the world much longer... In reality, as a world power, we had a short run.

Great post!

I blame PCness for killing our schools. (insert cassette tape, hit play) The education system (I think) Should have a max focus on Math/science. I still like the German model for education (as I remember it/understand it) with the different tiers of education. I mean, university prep, trade schools, etc. I feel like US kids are all pushed into a university education, when many of them just take stupid classes and a useless degree for the real world. Then they just drink, party, accrue debt, then drop out and want everybody else to pay for their good time.
All of our engineers at work are Indian or Korean/Chinese. Only 1 US born one in our group.

I think we need to change "Idiocracy" from a comedy to a documentary.

[mapuc]

Two important word here

1. Unemployment
2. Poverty

Is it really the end of the world if you get fired from a job!?
Of course it's not funny to leave a job you may like and friends you may miss, but the important here is the possibility to change in many ways. The most important change one must do is change one economical living.

What is Poverty really?. We have had this discussion the last few years ind Sweden and Denmark.

If you only have money for a basic living and no money for traveling 1-2 times a year, visiting a 3-4 stars restaurant 2-3 times a month then your are poor.

Markus

[Catfish]

Fine Niki that you so much adore the german system.
Meanwhile we have almost Nazi-like working conditions again, no holiday to speak about, and unemployment at a real 28 percent.
Those who have jobs work 9 hours a day, ready to get up at night for their company unless they do not want to lose their jobs.
All the reliefs having been fought for for centuries, supported by trade unions, are nil after the agenda 2010. There is also no real monetary securement anymore when you lose your job, it is down to half a year after which you get the so-called HartzIV, too much to die and too less to live.
And do not expect a job to fit your education -

As well we are now number one in lowest wages in all Europe, even behind Lithuania.
All this is the reason why Germany still is in the high ranks economical-wise, but at what cost ?

Obama a socialist, unemployment is not bad but only a chance yaddayadda i wish you all two years of unemployment in Germany, and then we'll talk. You guys have no idea what you are talking about.

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Fine Niki that you so much adore the german system.
Meanwhile we have almost Nazi-like working conditions again, no holiday to speak about, and unemployment at a real 28 percent.
Those who have jobs work 9 hours a day, ready to get up at night for their company unless they do not want to lose their jobs.
All the reliefs having been fought for for centuries, supported by trade unions, are nil after the agenda 2010. There is also no real monetary securement anymore when you lose your job, it is down to half a year after which you get the so-called HartzIV, too much to die and too less to live.
And do not expect a job to fit your education -

As well we are now number one in lowest wages in all Europe, even behind Lithuania.
All this is the reason why Germany still is in the high ranks economical-wise, but at what cost ?

Obama a socialist, unemployment is not bad but only a chance yaddayadda i wish you all two years of unemployment in Germany, and then we'll talk. You guys have no idea what you are talking about.

I think many of us can talk about being unemployed and how it feels. Some of us have been that for maybe 1-2-3-4 or more years.

Yes it's different in each country, when you are unemployed
In Denmark you receive about 90 % of what you earned when you had a job, however the highest payment you get is about 3300 $/month and you get that for 2 years

In Sweden you get about 75-80 % and you will get it only for 300 working days(Mon-Friday)

Don't know how it is in Germany.

Markus

[Mr Quatro]

It's a numbers game ... more people are entering the system than ever before.

I never really trusted all of these polls anyway ... who do they ask, where do they ask these questions and how many people do they ask and what do these people really know?

The real problem is more alcohol is being consumed, more drugs are being purchased, more sexual problems are being encountered in the daily lives of many. I won't go there.

College is a just a place where you graduate and wait for the right opportunity to do what you have been schooled to do, but can't find a job that fits your education level. So you take anything you can till something opens up and many give up finding where they were headed was probably wrong in the first place.

People are more depressed, more depression leads to more drugs, more drugs leads to more depression. I think the people of the 70's were a lot like that.

We need better leaders that don't just talk a good game, but provide a better work place with more advantages for businesses to hire and train people to be the employees they want and need.

When you join the military they know they can count on you for up to four to six years at a time and they train and equip you for the long run.

The private sector should come up with four year hiring plans that include both parties benefiting from the employment.

Credit cards are my next complaint, but I'll wait till that subject comes up ... hard to preach against credit cards in a society that thrives on them.

[Wolferz]

The governments have practiced deficit spending so long that now even the rank and file are forced to do the same thing due to all this runaway greed. At first it was all hinged on the price of a barrel of oil but now not so much. Prices keep rising even when oil prices drop back because the CEO's and their ilk get paid a king's ransom to do nothing and that expense is always passed on to the consumers. It's just a vicious circle with no end in sight other than the complete collapse of the entire house of cards.

[TarJak]

The real key words in the frame for this bit of statistical scaremongering are "for at least parts of their lives". This makes these statistics fall into the category of not worth the bandwidth used to download them.

[AVGWarhawk]

Conduct a war. The US is a war machine that manufactures war materials. Nothing else is manufactured here.