What You Need to Know About the May Jobs Report

Reader Comments
Back to article

I've run my own business in the construction industry for the past 10 years. When my business and the business of my construction friends was cut sometimes more than 60-70% many of my friends who are Obama supporters said that was simply one industry and that the economy as a whole was good. Let me tell you something, I've since been physically hurt and have had to look for an office job, I've put out upwards of 200 resumes in a multitude of different industries and have yet to get one interview. I have a 4-year degree and have successfully run a small business for 10 years. I wouldn't say I have great pedigree but definitely in the upper half of the market and just a little hint for Obama supporters--- "Unless you work for the government look out you very well could be looking down the barrell of multiple years of unemployment." Obama is single handedly screwing up the Free Market System. When the only jobs out there are government jobs look out because it is the free market who pays for the government jobs. without us evil capitalists the government machine can't run on its own because THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T PRODUCE ANYTHING!!!!!

Rich of CA 1:16PM May 20, 2010

ccTHLk

Mvtyutpc of HI 7:52PM July 14, 2009

Oh goody. I get to look forward to being one of the "increasing difficulty finding work" group soon. I'm glad there is such a great future for me - or I just hang in there and hope I don't die.

Kim Wallace of AZ 8:06PM June 08, 2009

""In fact, the situation is greatly improved, especially when you consider that employment numbers are a trailing economic indicator.""
Tell em exactly how the situation has improved? Only an Obama sychphant would think it has.

John of GA 6:49PM June 08, 2009

The loss of "only" 345,000 jobs was worse than any month in the previous two recessions

Jon of GA 6:48PM June 08, 2009

At least in my part of the country, gas prices have gone up over 60% in the past 6 months despite the fact that the only "good" news is that things aren't getting worse as quickly as they were before. As the impact from this sharp increase goes through the economy, it's likely the rate of economic decline will accelerate again.

Scott of MN 3:08AM June 07, 2009

Thanks to Ms. Wolgemuth and U.S.News for a well written and sourced article and providing something with a little depth regarding the nation's employment situation.
Regarding Muser's comments, it'd be nice to have more data, but in this era of the seven second sound bite, this was a fairly lengthy online article as it was.
As far as people whether people are settling for lower paying jobs, well, that's been happening since Reagan took office, so it's a safe bet it hasn't changed in this recession.
What my Republican boss got out of today's news was that the unemployment rate went up and that was a 'change' that was President Obama's fault. In fact, the situation is greatly improved, especially when you consider that employment numbers are a trailing economic indicator. If he wasn't my boss, I'd tell him not to talk to me until he'd read something beyond the Fox News headlines.
It would be nice if this sort of article was the norm so that people wouldn't have to look so hard to really figure out what was going on.
Again, thanks.

jimatmadison of WI 8:55PM June 05, 2009

for good data, but the current reporting of unemployment and job losses and job gains is not telling anybody much worth knowing.
It's not all that useful to not know whether a person who used to earn $50K is now working somewhere else for $20K, but is no longer "unemployed".
We should be looking at how many people are working---and in what earnings brackets. We should then be looking at how many people are not working at all. Hard to know? Hey, we have millions of computers and tons of data submitted to IRS, SSA and DOL. Imagine, if this was in the private sector, telling the CEO, "Well, that data just cannot be compiled". Yeah, right.

Muser of NM 3:30PM June 05, 2009