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When People Give Up Looking for Work, What Do They Do?
Wall Street Journal ^ | 03/07/2014 | Sara Murray

Posted on 03/07/2014 10:46:31 AM PST by SeekAndFind

The job market may have reached a turning point in February when for the first time in nearly four years more of the unemployed found jobs than dropped out of the labor force.

Last month 10.5 million people were unemployed, including 3.8 million who have been out of work for six months or more. But those numbers only count the people who are out of work and still looking for jobs.

Even though February saw more people returning to the labor force, the percent of the population working or looking for work remains near a 30-year low due to millions of dropouts during the recession.

(Excerpt) Read more at stream.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: jobs; unemployment
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To: Carthego delenda est

“It is not a lack of qualified individuals, but rather an abundance of illegal foreign nationals willing to work for so much less pay.”

Don’t be hatin’ on the New Americans - Old Americans lack in the “willing subservience to their betters” department, a set of attitudes deemed essential in the diverse New Economy...


61 posted on 03/07/2014 11:45:55 AM PST by headsonpikes (Mass murder and cannibalism are the twin sacraments of socialism - "Who-whom?"-Lenin)
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To: SeekAndFind
Disability, retirement, black market, under the table off the books, cash on the barrel head. Did I miss anything?
62 posted on 03/07/2014 11:46:03 AM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: Democrat_media

“it’s getting me angry seeing all these freepers unemployed . the socialist government regulations and massive waves of 3rd world immigrants are taking away jobs and opportunities for Americans”

It’s not the immigrants in my case. I was working for General Dynamics Land Systems. They were building a product the Army had been telling them they didn’t want for over 10 years; HEAVY armor. The Army wanted lighter air-flightable tanks. Seriously, GD’s marketing told the Army, “That’s not what you want. You want this.” When Oshkosh, General Defense and Force Protection invested 1.5 billion each and designed tanks on a 6 ton truck chassis the army fell in love. Where did they get the money in the middle of a budget year? They weren’t using the Abrams or Stryker’s so they took all that money and GD laid off half of us. GD still hasn’t adapted and will lay off half the remaining staff in March. Can’t blame that sort of stupidity on anybody but management.

My problem is I’m 60. I’ve had awesome interviews, but no offers. At the companies where I knew somebody inside I found they’d hired somebody younger. (A lot younger.)


63 posted on 03/07/2014 11:50:06 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: Rich21IE
There’s a serious problem with training for the jobs that are available.

I suspect the training is available. But everyone is in college playing video games and getting degrees in sociology instead of learning the trades or going to tech schools.

64 posted on 03/07/2014 11:50:35 AM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: SeekAndFind

I live in a county about 50 miles north of Atlanta. We have 30,000 residents here. A few subdivisions that are newer, thousands of single family dispersed homes, and a buttload of trailers. Many of the trailers are rentals (you usually see the tax/registration stickers for the rented ones on one end or the other).

We also have 6,000 fine upstanding residents on SNAP that is carried on a Georgia Peach EBT card. I see them every time I’m in Walmart. My guess, and I’d bet I’d be right is most of those 6000 people are also on Section 8, living in one of those trailers, on WICs if they have kids, on SSDI (I see an abnormal amount of cars outside the trailers with Handicap Stickers or plates on them), getting TANF, have an iObamaPhone, and any other freebie they can get. Plus, once a year, they get a hefty few thousand from EITC (with one or two future leeches in the trailer)

If you add up all that assistance, you get an entitled family that doesn’t really have to work. Most of the trailers have satellite, at least one good care, lots have two or more. Their disposable income is pretty good when you think that they don’t pay any taxes at all. Life’s good for them, and when they’re offered a job, it has to be either government or union wages.


65 posted on 03/07/2014 11:51:06 AM PST by Gaffer (Comprehensive Immigration Reform is just another name for Comprehensive Capitulation)
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To: lesko

They have that down to a science in my county...you can do it all on line.


66 posted on 03/07/2014 11:54:39 AM PST by Gaffer (Comprehensive Immigration Reform is just another name for Comprehensive Capitulation)
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To: Texan5

The people here on this site that are unemployed aren’t the ones we’re talking about. While we here think we are ‘legion,’ we are not, frankly - a small proportion of the overall unemployed problem. And, in large part, there are way, way too damn many backsliders and no goods that just won’t work when they can live comfortably enough on the government teat.


67 posted on 03/07/2014 11:57:55 AM PST by Gaffer (Comprehensive Immigration Reform is just another name for Comprehensive Capitulation)
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To: Rich21IE

“Employers can’t find plumbers, electricians, welders or machinists. “

People have put a stigma on vocational school. Any trade that requires working with tools or one’s hands is deemed beneath the modern urbanite. All the little darlings today have to have a college degree whether they need it or not. I made a darn good living with a vocational education while my PhD brother sucked wind unable to find work in Obama’s brave new world.


68 posted on 03/07/2014 12:03:34 PM PST by bk1000 (A clear conscience is a sure sign of a poor memory)
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To: Gen.Blather

I hear ya! Been laid off for over 6 months and am having a very hard time finding any ‘decent’ job -being over 50 and no degree.

They don’t want older folks. I’m still plugging away at job searching, but like you, have been living off of savings.

The job search process has changed a LOT since I was younger. Some places require proof of health insurance to apply.
I sure miss the good old days when you walked into a place, filled out the application and they decided from there.


69 posted on 03/07/2014 12:06:11 PM PST by joethedrummer
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To: albie
They go back to Mom’s house, since apparently we’re “kids” until we’re 27.

You mean those who worked for 25++ years those over 55 etc, are they're not having great time, going on vacations, buying new homes and cars?

Those who've not been economically gang banged yet and or dumped like trash after years of working, seem somewhat detached...

70 posted on 03/07/2014 12:07:15 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: SeekAndFind

Work off the books, of course!


71 posted on 03/07/2014 12:08:50 PM PST by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: joethedrummer

“The job search process has changed a LOT since I was younger. Some places require proof of health insurance to apply. I sure miss the good old days when you walked into a place, filled out the application and they decided from there.”

I’ve filled out hundreds of on-line apps, but had noting from them. Probably because I’m not local, or they can see from my graduation dates that I’m at least 60. I have an awesome resume with some high value jobs and experience. But he jobs I’d do have gone overseas. The only interviews I’ve gotten are when people I know drop my resume on somebody’s desk. I interview well and everything seems positive but no offers. I’ve decided to go the author route for as long as I can because that’s what I love.


72 posted on 03/07/2014 12:11:27 PM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: Rich21IE
“Employers can’t find plumbers, electricians, welders or machinists.“

Oh...Those poor employers who've collectively hired millions of low wage illegal workers who literally took over all those fields including all forms of construction, warehousing, service etc.

Profits regardless of consequences....

To alleviate any guilt, be sure to always label Americans as fat and lazy...

73 posted on 03/07/2014 12:16:22 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: All

And everyone knows what happened to the wages in these fields.....As the cost of everything tripled...


74 posted on 03/07/2014 12:17:53 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: macglencoe

That’s what hubby did. Although we made the decision to not draw his pension or other retirement, yet and he’s still too young for SS. We’re living on my income.


75 posted on 03/07/2014 12:25:23 PM PST by Hoffer Rand (Bear His image. Bring His message. Be the Church.)
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To: lucky american

What an amazing gift to your grandchildren. They’re going to look back on their childhood and be able to say “a lot of who I am today is because of my grandpa.” That’s awesome!


76 posted on 03/07/2014 12:30:44 PM PST by Hoffer Rand (Bear His image. Bring His message. Be the Church.)
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To: SeekAndFind
They get a "job" "working" for the government.

The difference between an unemployed person sitting on the couch watching TV all day, and a government employee, is pretty much the couch.

77 posted on 03/07/2014 12:52:14 PM PST by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: SeekAndFind
I lost my good paying IT job in 2009, I immediately hooked on to a previous employer for PT work(UPS). They re-hired me and secured Teamster health bennies.

Once into UPS, I seeked out work with other PT employees there who were contractors for day laboring. Yes, contractors work there to get the benefits and have their own businesses during the day.

They knew my work ethic and hired me for day jobs to do all sorts of work like pouring concrete, washing down houses, mowing, painting and lifting stuff.

I was rehired a few years later at my old IT job because of my knowledge of the computer systems at the company.I am in my mid 50's and still work the IT job and UPS(2 jobs now). I am thankful for my health and good luck to the good people who hired me for day laboring. I had to rely on my savings to get by in the lean months in the winter.

I never gave up on myself to take a place on the couch and be a "victim".

78 posted on 03/07/2014 12:52:22 PM PST by dancusa (Molon Labe)
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To: Grampa Dave

There aren’t any mojados out here-too many of us native Hispanics don’t tolerate them, and that is nice. The nearest Home Depot is 22 miles away, so most of us work for one or several contractors whenever they have work-I’ve been independent for nearly 10 years, and there is less than half as much remodeling work now, nothing new being built, and con-artist customers who stiff you are too common-and it has all happened since this administration came into office and made everything FUBAR...


79 posted on 03/07/2014 12:55:23 PM PST by Texan5 (" You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: Gaffer

I do not see those people here-other than a few that everyone has known about for years-out here in BFE someone cooking and selling meth in a shed in the back pasture of a ranch is more common. There are plenty of people to work, but not much work to be had in a bad economy. Businesses in this area are very small and heavily dependent on tourists, especially the snowbirds in winter. The few who still bring their RV and stay the winter are from Canada now-not Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maine, etc...


80 posted on 03/07/2014 1:03:45 PM PST by Texan5 (" You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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