USA employment loss 2007-2014 = the 547,000 jobs eliminated by conservatism

[cthulu2016]

Last edited Fri Apr 4, 2014, 02:05 PM - Edit history (2)

At this point, the Republican war on recovery via war on government (and some supporting efforts by Democrats, like deficit 'concern') is not a mere contributor to our employment problem.

It is now the sum and substance and heart of our ongoing number-of-jobs problem.

We had an economic collapse that WAS the problem. Folks took advantage of that event to camouflage the creation of a new problem which, over time, has replaced the old cause of the symptom, eating away all recovery as it develops.

In 2008-2009 jobs evaporated when the economy collapsed. Since then they have returned, though probably with somewhat less pay and benefits. Our employment situation sucks in a lot of ways. Wages suck. Benefits suck. Conditions suck.

But in terms of the raw number of jobs, as of today's jobs report there is more private sector employment in the USA than there has ever been. There are 110,000 more people employed by the private sector today than at the previous peak in 2007.

Population has grown, so that is not a bouquet, but it is what it is. Most private sector jobs EVER.

There are, however, 437,000 fewer jobs today than there were at that 2007 peak. Why?

Because 547,000 fewer people are employed by state, local and federal government than there were back then.

And for all the deficit hand-wringers who are "good" Democrats, you are not the grown-ups in the room, you are dupes... tools of a conservative war on working people.

[corkhead]

1. But the Republicons are the Job Creators (TM)

[cthulu2016]

2. .

[Wounded Bear]

3. K & R...and...

for me the fun part is how this fact supports the Repub position that "government can't do anything right." Of course, the real reason is that they've cut workers to the bone so that every government employee is doing 2-3 people's jobs or worse, but we can't discuss that now, can we?

[Cali_Democrat]

4. So the GOP notion that Obama is growing the government uncontrollably is false...

We have a lot less government workers today than when Obama took office.

[cthulu2016]

5. Yes. (Though the figure is all levels of government)

The federal workforce has grown less than it did under Bush, and the profligate Obama myth is... a myth. (Funny how he got at that supposed runaway growth through the House of Representatives, the only body empowered to originate a spending bill.)

But the biggest job whacking has been at the state level.

[cthulu2016]

6. .