Dude, Where's My Job?

[IndianaGreen]

Dude, Where's My Job?

Economists are calling the US economic "turnaround" a "jobless recovery" - a term that makes sense only to economists. Shouldn't people's ability to find work be central to any economy? Isn't the point of an economy all about fulfilling human needs, one of which is meaningful work?

Not according to today's monetarist economists who only three years ago were warning of the dangers of the unemployment rate dropping below four percent. Then the business community and their economists were fearful that lower unemployment rates would increase laborís bargaining position, which would drive up wages and inflation. Unfortunately full employment was never reached. Alan Greenspan, with the backing of the other monetarists who dominate today's economic discourse, increased interest rates to deflate the economy. It worked. Unemployment rates began to climb. Officially it's now at 6.1 percent but that number masks the huge number of people who have simply given up looking. In August, 93,000 jobs were lost and there are 2.1 percent fewer workers on payrolls in the US than there were two years ago, which doesn't even take into account the needed job growth to keep up with population increases.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articlestatic/27/1/1

[w13rd0]

1. Worry not...

...soon, a new improved McJob will be available for you. And for signing up your family for "continuance benefits" (in the event of your untimely demise, they can work off your contractual benefit), you'll get McHealthCare, and McHousing. Hey, but remember, you're better off than someone living in India!!!

[cornermouse]

2. The economy is not about jobs or production anymore.

Its about little pieces of paper floating around the stock market floor. And its as stable and long lasting as that paper.