As in any other playoff, candidate rhetoric let loose during the U.S. presidential race can be tough. We’ve held a front row seat to the 2012 showdown for over a year, with tensions still rising as the general election looms nearer. Some of the barbs launched along the campaign trail have been laughable: Newt Gingrich’s television ad incriminating Mitt Romney for his ability to speak French comes to mind. Others are not. The dialogue surrounding U.S. poverty and inequality, two issues that are hotter than ever during a deep recession that the nation has shown incapable of simply shaking off [...]
Jobless
New Florida laws strip poor of protections
Laws passed last year by the Florida Legislature have torn holes in the poor’s safety net. Among the changes: requiring jobless benefits recipients to file online reports documenting their job searches and shortening the eligibility period in which people can receive benefits. In the first three months after the measures were enacted 65 percent... »
Despite ‘recovery,’ jobs still scarce
Despite the 200,000 jobs added nationally in December, unemployment rates have only changed 0.3 percent in the last year and the U.S. still needs 10 million jobs to return to full employment. Furthermore, many more Americans work part-time involuntarily or have given up searching for work, and record numbers suffer long-term unemployment. Without dramatic changes,... »
Blacks hit hardest by recession
Middle-class African-Americans have been hit hardest by layoffs and unemployment in the last two years, according to economists and recent government data. Jobless rates for blacks have consistently been double that of whites, in part because of continuing discrimination and generally lower education levels. Additionally, blacks are one-third more likely than whites to work... »
A hidden toll as states shift to contract workers
Many state-run institutions have hired contract workers to replace their own employees. The move is intended to help states cut costs, but critics point out that the lower employee salaries and reduced benefits will cause a rise in Medicaid and other relief expenses. Others raise doubts about the contract workers’ ability to fill the jobs of... »
Widespread ‘skills gap’ leaves jobs unfilled
Thousands of Americans remain jobless, yet employers still struggle to find skilled candidates to fill vacancies. “There are plenty of job openings out there. Problem is there aren’t enough Americans trained to do them,” declared the CEO of Corporate Voices for Working Families. In response, federal and state governments are allocating more resources to... »
Debate rages over Obama’s jobs bills provision
President Barack Obama included a provision in his jobs bill prohibiting discrimination against job applicants based on unemployment. The provision was a response to recent job advertisements that specifically stipulated that the unemployed need not apply. However, Big Country representatives oppose the provision, arguing that it “micromanages the hiring process,” “threatens employers with frivolous... »
Black teens face stark unemployment
The national unemployment rate for black males ages 16 to 19 stands at 45 percent, five times the overall jobless rate and double that for all teens. Students struggling to pay for college are coming up short regardless of qualifications. That lesson was learned the hard way by one top-ranked student at the all-black... »
Recession forces household sizes to grow
The 2010 Census found that after a 50-year decline in household size, more people are living together under the same roof. The recession, unemployment and housing crisis are currently forcing people to double up with family or friends. Increases in the numbers of immigrants and of young adults who live with their parents after... »
High unemployment swells numbers of uninsured
Extended unemployment has increased the number of uninsured Americans to 52 million, with many of the newly uninsured unable to find replacement policies on the individual market. The Commonwealth Fund estimates that 26 million Americans sought individual health plans between 2007 and 2010, with about 11 million unable to find plans that offered adequate... »
Startup business growth may be due to unemployment
California, Georgia and Nevada are among the top states in the nation for startup businesses. Although this seems to be a sign of economic recovery, some analysts say that the trend may be driven by high unemployment rates, which have forced thousands of jobless residents to try their hands at starting their own companies. »