[Lael]

This is harsh medicine and hard on the unemployed, but economists know that perpetual extension of unemployment benefits creates a disincentive to some people

I notice they only quote EMPLOYED Economists.

BTW, the Hedonically Cooked GDP numbers are beginning to distort the views of the Japanese Economy as well...Japanese Gov't claims it is ALL going swimmingly...yet the Bank of Japan has numbers that are absolutely DREADFUL!

[futureceo31]

What bout all the manufacturing jobs that went to China during the Clinton years. You can spend days in Walmart looking for an item made in any other place except China.
Its called a global economy and companies are doing what they have to do to stay profitable.
I would be interested in finding out about unemployment in other first world economies, that I am sure is worse than our unemployment numbers...

[OldPossum]

Re my post 31 and your 34, please don't misunderstand what I am saying. I am in deep sympathy with the posters on this thread who have become unemployed through no fault of their own. I was just trying to explain what may be the thinking of the Administration as regards unemployment compensation.

I am retired and damn glad that I am. Today's job market is really, really tough, the worst that I can recall.