Today’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report of an increase in the unemployment rate to 9.8 percent – a 26-year high – is bad news for American workers and their families. The U.S. lost another 263,000 jobs in September and 5.4 million workers have now been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer. The full report is HERE.
These numbers should serve as a long-overdue wake-up call to Congress and the Administration. With misguided policies such as the stimulus, which the Administration predicted would keep unemployment at eight percent, as well as massive new spending and record debt and deficits, Congress continues to miss important opportunities to turn this economy around.
All Americans – Republican, Democrat and Independent – share the goal of job creation and a stronger economy. Congress needs to heed that same bipartisan concern – and enact policies that will help working families and small businesses gain and keep jobs in order to turn this economy around.
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4 responses so far ↓
Bill Thompson // October 3, 2009 at 12:14 am |
Erik: You’ve got a few things backward. Our present economic difficulties were the direct result of years of pressure for deregulation. We got the government off our backs, all right. Whatever shortcomings the stimulus plan may have, they stem from it being inadequately funded. It’s time for the wealthy and big business to start paying their fair share instead of the middle class carrying the load. You can do your part for health care reform by stopping the silly remarks about the “sacred relationship between doctor and patient” and “government bureaucrats”. You know perfectly well that the biggest thing coming between doctor and patient is the insurers. Rationing? Like we don’t have that now? You know better than that. Let’s not try fooling each other.
Bill // October 3, 2009 at 4:39 am |
Misguided? Missing opportunities to turn the economy around?
What are you calling for?
Quit sniping. Be constructive.
Guest Commentary : Paulsen Joins Minority to Oppose Workers | Minnesota Political Blog - Change We Must Fight For // October 6, 2009 at 9:53 pm |
[...] Paulsen is well aware of the national employment situation as he wrote on his 10/2/09 blog entry : “U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report of an increase in the unemployment rate to 9.8 percent [...]
Stephanie Leeper // October 7, 2009 at 1:51 am |
I like you views.