The New York Times (May 7)
The U.S. added 244,000 jobs in April, but the jobless rate rose because even more people left or lost jobs. The “contradictory employment data raise questions about the economy’s momentum,” demonstrating the need for additional job creation programs, rather than government budget-cutting. “Job growth is not taking off. At the current monthly rate, it would take more than five years to return to the pre-recession unemployment rate of 5 percent in December 2007.”
Tags: Budget, Jobs, U.S., Unemployment
The Wall Street Journal (July 20)
The U.S. unemployment rate stands at 9.5%. Nearly 45.5% of those without jobs, a record 6.7 million, have been out of work for six months or longer. President Obama is calling on Congress to extend unemployment benefits. The Wall Street Journal, however, objects. Extending benefits keeps “people out of the job market” by encouraging them to wait for better jobs.
Tags: Jobs, U.S., Unemployment
