What's the 'State of the American Worker'?

WASHINGTON D.C. DEPT. OF LABOR: Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis looks at a sign made by preschoolers during Solis’s swearing in ceremony at the Department of Labor in Washington, DC. Friday, March 13, 2009.
Today is Labor Day, and it’s traditional that the U.S. Secretary of Labor makes an address about the “State of the American Worker.”  Our current Labor Secretary Hilda Solis posted her message on the department’s web site. 

Here are some of her key points. What to you think of them?

She writes: “Many of you have told me that you want an America that ‘produces things again.’ You want a nation that is strong, that leads the international marketplace in innovation and a commitment to quality. And you want a government that is responsive, pragmatic and understands your needs. But more than anything else, no matter where I go and who I talk to, you’ve told me ‘we need jobs.’ “

The Obama Administration’s efforts, Solis says, keep us from sliding into another Great Depression. These efforts “reversed the dangerous trend of job loss in our country because just over a year ago, we were losing almost 700,000 jobs per month.” Now, employers have added an average of 90,000 jobs each month for the last seven months.

Solis argues that the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, SAVED millions of American jobs in the auto manufacturing industry. Those efforts also kept health care workers in clinics and community hospitals. They kept hundreds of thousands of teachers in classrooms, and police and firefighters on the beat—where they should be.”

Nonetheless, unemployment is still above 9%, she notes, and recognizes that it is much worse for “young people, people of color, and people in regions of the country hit hardest by the recession.”

This summer was supposed to be a turning point in our economic recovery.

Has the economy turned the corner in your area?

Has your area benefited from the Administration’s programs? 

Tell us what’s going on where you live.

Please, add a “Comment” by clicking below before you leave.

Comments

[Gorby]

In Ohio the unemployment rates is nearly 11%. And no, I don't see much of an improvment coming unless the uncertainty that currently exists in the economy is mitigated. The uncertainty is due to the current adminstration policies. Where are we heading? No one seems to know. Small business is not willing to hire unless the future is less cloudy than it is. The only way that is going to happen is for the administration to support tax cuts across the board. Trying to establish "targeted" tax credits provides support for only those industries that the administration favors which may or may not help improve our economy. Primarily "the green" jobs. The other small businesses are not willing to hire because of the tremendous uncertainties. Can you blame them?

We need across the board tax cuts and not a "jobs bill" which is really a huge spending and "targeted" tax cuts bill. We need a free market again, not an economy manipulated by our government. Extended the current across the board "Bush tax cuts" of 2001 would allow all of us to participate in an economic recovery. We are going to continue to muddle along without the administration recognizing what made this country great......

The feds have agreed to provide dollars under the stimulus legislation for a high speed train that travels between Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus. Yes, it'll provide initial jobs for building the hi speed line, payed for by the taxpayer. However, cost analyses have shown that there are not enough travelers that will use the system to even break even. So, the Ohio taxpayer would have to subsidize this new hi speed railroad. The government is out of control. The only way we are going to recover is to let the free market work and stop the runaway spending.

[charles b]

"Has the economy turned the corner in your area?"

No - and it doesn't look good for at least the next year or two, either!

"Has your area benefited from the Administration’s programs? "

No

"Tell us what’s going on where you live."

Living in the rural agricultural Thumb area of Michigan - our unemployment rate is - "at least", 15%. And I would wager that it is a lot higher than that!

The economic growth in this area is stagnant, at best - with at least 400 applications for every job opening.
At one time, my County - Sanilac, had a good 20 plastic-type manufacturing plants scattered around the County. but nowadays, there is only about a 1/4 of that. As well can be said about the rubber parts plants in this County.

About the only real job growth this County is seeing, is in the health-care field.

Other than that - if one wants a job, they would almost have to fight for one of the jobs - if possible, that are opening up in the bigger cities - or move to another State.

Because it sure's doesn't look good around here!

-charles