The Real Un-Employment Rate

[Willi]

Detroit Un-Employment hovers around 15% [[depending on the source)

Since they rarely include the folks who dropped off the reports entirely
what is your estimate of the true rate of un-employment in Detroit, MI

I guess it floats around 25% - 30% of the 700,000 residents living in Detroit limits.




Now let's switch to reality - based on what is seen on a national level - in other cities

Attachment 24606

The longer you’re without a job, the less likely you’ll get called back for an interview.
By the eighth month of unemployment the callback rate falls by about 45%.
The article concludes “many employers see these would-be workers as damaged goods.”
These same people could be contributing greatly to the economy.
Instead, they are spending their days trying to secure
employment or working in unfulfilling and part-time jobs while
depleting their savings and 401K’s to supplement their income.

[Ltdave]

nah...

unemployment is dropping at a precipitous rate, just in time for the election next month...

[Cliffy]

Just like gas prices mysteriously drop during the election time

[Jimaz]

Just like gas prices mysteriously drop during the election time

Off-topic: I heard on the radio that because of some unusual imbalance between spot and futures crude prices, many supertankers are being used to warehouse crude offshore. The story wasn't presented as some conspiracy theory but rather as a rational thing to do in an abnormal market.

Seems inefficient to me but if all the land-based tanks are full, where else can you put it?

On-topic: Even the employed are working for less these days despite increased productivity and the recovery. That's unfair and undermines the very legitimacy of "capitalism."

[Willi]

The reality is the U.S. has nearly 10 million workers,
only marginally engaged in their work situation.
They don’t contribute their full potential to their households,
the economy or society in general.

Michigan with Detroit at the forefront, needs to deal directly with the reality.
I believe that way down deep, most people want to work, contribute to society in some manner.
There is a huge amount of manual labor , at the ready , on a daily basis, available.
Day laborers, paid cash at the end of each day, could make a huge impact on the inner city.

Create “worker centers ”: A place where contractors pick up laborers
in an orderly fashion, on a first-come-first-serve basis,
and negotiate terms that both sides have to honor.
Put some integrity into a situation that has few immediate remedies.

Re -invent the old-school hiring hall, which gives out work
to people when labor is needed for small jobs on short notice.
Provide a means for workers to negotiate their conditions in the absence of unions
Let day laborers forge relationships with employers that could become permanent,
so they don’t have to spend time waiting around for a job every day .

People need hope - that they could better themselves, their situation, their family.
Making a little bit of money, honestly, with integrity, is better than the other options

[That Great Guy]

A 5 percent county tax will make our sales tax at 11 percent. Then we can invest 5 percent in good paying government jobs and rebuild our infrastructure and help pay off the national debt.

[SyGolden48236]

Again you go on about raising taxes. You cannot tax your way to prosperity. It has never worked. Not once.

Bet let's pretend that your fantasy of adding a 5% county tax to make the sales tax in Wayne County 11% becomes reality. People will just go to Macomb or Oakland County to make their purchases and save the extra 5%. That will really help Detroit prosper LOL.

And you talk about good paying government jobs. Government should not be depended upon to be a major employer. The private sector provides jobs. You want a government job, join the military.

You have been calling for raising taxes constantly on this blog for things such as water bills, cable TV, home security systems, internet service and buses. Let's see if you still feel that way if you ever move out of your rental apartment and you purchase real property.

[313WX]

That's unfair and undermines the very legitimacy of "capitalism."

Capitalism was never a concept based on fairness...

[Willi]

All the "great" names in industry of the USA almost stepped on dead bodies to obtain riches.
Numerous stories of outright exploitation, ruthlessness, greed, and selfishness.

I think that history has taught us well and a decent/fair working solution can be achieved.

[Willi]

......AND it has nothing to do with UN-employment , thanks Guy.

Un-employment needs to be attacked on 2 fronts
a.) the low end of zero skills and just brute labor
b.) the high end of creative skills

Detroit has an abundance of just plain ordinary people for labor.
Streamline the process, kill the paperwork, put people to work daily.
Clean the city, remove the blight, mow the lawns, get neighborhoods back on their feet.
Fairly quick results, a true boost to the local economy, because workers buy stuff.

While governments may believe low unemployment is the key
to economic success, it has not proven true.
In an article ""Nine Countries Where Everyone Has A Job"",
it was concluded “only a minority of the countries with low unemployment
actually have a healthy economy where middle-class jobs are abundant.”

As new ideas come to life, so do new industries, organizations and jobs.
To keep innovative people working, organizations and governments
must create jobs for them and invest in their progressive ideas.

Highly skilled innovators that dream-up and advance our future
will create new jobs and industries. The more high skilled jobs there are,
the lower both unemployment and underemployment will become.
There are hints of this happening, but it takes a lot of time, maybe a generation or more

[Patrick]

Again you go on about raising taxes. You cannot tax your way to prosperity. It has never worked. Not once.

Bet let's pretend that your fantasy of adding a 5% county tax to make the sales tax in Wayne County 11% becomes reality. People will just go to Macomb or Oakland County to make their purchases and save the extra 5%. That will really help Detroit prosper LOL.

And you talk about good paying government jobs. Government should not be depended upon to be a major employer. The private sector provides jobs. You want a government job, join the military.

You have been calling for raising taxes constantly on this blog for things such as water bills, cable TV, home security systems, internet service and buses. Let's see if you still feel that way if you ever move out of your rental apartment and you purchase real property.

How about we do what Sam Brownback did in Kansas and cut taxes? How's that working out for Kansas?

[Jimaz]

How about we do what Sam Brownback did in Kansas and cut taxes? How's that working out for Kansas?

Needs some context: Sam Brownback in deep trouble: After derailing Kansas’ economy, governor lashes out: GOP governor once said his tax policy would be like a shot of adrenaline. Now he says it just needs time to work

The poorest residents of the state, meanwhile, actually saw their taxes increase by just over one percent.

Clue: if adrenaline doesn't work immediately, it's not working at all and never will.

[Bobl]

To me, the redistribution of wealth from those who work to the corporations is more important than the unemployment rate.
Perhaps I should be quiet. My modest IRA is doing quite well, in my retirement.

[Willi]

If the United States is to remain a global economic leader, we
cannot leave large segments of the population behind.
Some of America’s most vulnerable populations
—disadvantaged and displaced workers—
are at risk of being left out of the recovery
due to skills deficits that inhibit their full participation in the workforce.

If you skip the Red Tape, hire ordinary day laborers, and get stuff done;
eventually some of them will learn how to do "something" other than
scrapping, stealing, selling drugs.
People just need that chance, to EARN some money, for an 8hr day
and then they begin to feel better about themselves, have some self worth.

[Jimaz]

How about we do what Sam Brownback did in Kansas and cut taxes? How's that working out for Kansas?

More context: DetroitYES Home » Non Detroit Issues » Thom Hartmann » Our economy is a house of cards!

[Willi]

Why did this get bumped to NON-Detroit category ?