Workforce in U.S. Drops to 27-Year Low

[The Straight Story]

Workforce in U.S. Drops to 27-Year Low

Less than half of all Americans were part of the workforce last year, raising concerns about the nation’s long-term ability to support itself.

Only 45.4% of the U.S. population had jobs in 2010, marking the lowest rate since 1983. Also, only 66.8% of men were employed. Up until the 1960s, 80% or more of all adult males worked for a living. In 2010 the figures for individual states ranged from 36.7% for Mississippi to 55.8% for North Dakota.

Reasons for the declining employment numbers included the bad economy, a graying population and a leveling of growth in women workers.

“No matter how wealthy you are, you have a problem if half the population is not working and depending on those who are,” John Goodman, president of the conservative National Center for Policy Analysis, told USA Today.

http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/Workforce_in_US_Drops_to_27_Year_Low_110406

[LAGC]

1. Then quit shipping our jobs overseas!

It's not like most people want to just be lazy and not earn a good living.

SHOW US THE JOBS!

If you build it, people will come! If you don't, people won't have any money to buy your shit.

[rfranklin]

2. That's coming from a right wing asshole sitting on his ass and...

pontificating.

[Selatius]

3. All that money spent on war could've gone towards job creation/job programs.

No, we just have to blow it all on arms manufacturers and defense contractors.

[fasttense]

4. Who's depending on who?

“No matter how wealthy you are, you have a problem if half the population is not working and depending on those who are,” John Goodman, president of the conservative National Center for Policy Analysis, told USA Today.

We are currently unemployed and dependent on no one. We farm our land and sell our produce. If we had jobs, we would not be doing this. But it is the only way we can currently make any money. We depend on no one except perhaps our customers. We work very hard to make that money and that's more than I can say for banksters.

Perhaps if he were referring to the pool of Americans who make up our larger society, we do depend on them. We depend on them to support our roads, educational system, provide electricity and clean water. In that respect we are as dependent as multi-millionaires. But this idiot is a conservative and does not believe in the larger society so he can't be referring to that.

[CanonRay]

5. They take them out of the "workforce" so they don't show up in unemployment stats.

They are all still out there, trying to find non-existent work.

[Nikia]

6. Until everyone who wants a job can get one

I think that it is inappropriate to blame those who have dropped out of the workforce. In some individual cases, the job force drop out might be one of those lazy people who could work if he or she wanted to work. In the current situation, though, that person not working opens up a position for someone who does want a job. There aren't many companies that have a hard time finding workers. Those few that do have a hard time often are overly picky about who they hire and would not even consider hiring a person who has been unemployed for a long time. If there were more job openings, more people would be working.