Job losses up in 44 states as recession drags on

[KoKo]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090522/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/us_state_unemployment

Job losses up in 44 states as recession drags on!
By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer Jeannine Aversa, Ap Economics Writer Fri May 22, 5:18 pm ET

WASHINGTON – All but six states lost jobs in April and double-digit unemployment persisted in every corner of the country as companies squeezed by the recession slashed payrolls.

For the fifth straight month, California led the nation in net job losses, with 63,700 jobs disappearing in April. Among the handful of winners were Arkansas, Montana and Florida — a state battered by the housing collapse and badly in need of good news.

Michigan, the heart of the teetering American auto industry, posted the highest unemployment rate in the nation, 12.9 percent, the Labor Department said Friday. Oregon came in at 12 percent, South Carolina at 11.5 percent and Rhode Island at 11.1 percent.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has said he expects the economy to begin growing again later this year, but the recovery is expected to be slow, with companies in no rush to hire. The Fed projects unemployment will stay high well into 2011.

After California, Texas cut the second-most jobs of any state, with 39,500. Michigan lost 38,400 and Ohio 25,200.

Layoffs in manufacturing, construction and retail are a common theme in states with high unemployment. States like South Carolina, Michigan and Rhode Island have had trouble luring new types of companies to cushion the loss of manufacturing jobs and training laid-off factory workers for other kinds of employment.

Despite the tens of thousands of lost jobs, California's jobless rate actually fell, to 11 percent from 11.2 percent in March. It was still the fifth-highest rate in the country.

Todd Laney, 48, of Sacramento, Calif., was laid off early last year after 19 years working in the parts department of an auto dealership. He has applied for more than 250 jobs and is still looking.

"I never thought that I would see General Motors go from hero to zero in my lifetime," he said. "I never thought that we would see Chrysler facing bankruptcy. I'm trying anything I can get my hands on because I know that I've got knowledge and skills in the automotive industry that are transferrable."

Saddled with a $21.3 billion budget deficit, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said thousands of state employees must be laid off and billions must be slashed from the budget.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told lawmakers this week he does not have authority to use the $700 billion bailout fund to help state and local governments. Geithner said he was working with Congress to make it easier for governments to borrow.

He did not rule out somehow using federal tax helping California or other states with federal taxpayer money.

"That's not putting on the table or taking off the table any specific thing like that," he said. "But I just want you to know that there are things that we've had to do I would never have contemplated doing."

The nation has lost 5.7 million jobs since the recession, the longest since World War II, began in December 2007. The nationwide unemployment rate stands at 8.9 percent, the highest in a quarter-century.

There are some bright spots: Arkansas and Montana tied for the biggest payroll gains in April, adding 1,500 jobs apiece. Florida eked out an increase of 1,300 jobs.

Rebecca Rust, an economist for the Agency for Workforce Innovation in Tallahassee, Fla., said the increase is mostly because nursing homes and residential care facilities have added jobs.

She noted that the monthly gain is relatively small and that Florida has lost 380,300 jobs since April 2008, second only to California.

More at........
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090522/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/us_state_unemployment

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090522/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/us_state_unemployment

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Slackers

They should be more industrious. No reason why they can't sell their families as cordwood for bankers.

[KoKo]

3. The "Spin" on the Cables has been...."Unemployment better than expected,"

"Economy hit bottom and is now turning around." They even spun declining retail sales into "Better than Expected." :eyes: You go crazy with this crap after years of it!

[OhioChick]

4. I've been hearing the same BS.

:eyes:

[OhioChick]

2. Until people have jobs, this will worsen as time passes. n/t

[Baby Snooks]

5. But I thought the recession was over?

Almost every day it seems one of the White House Wizards of Wall Street announces the recession is over/ending/beginning to end/has already ended. And then that damn media comes along and spoils it all.

We are in a Depression. Those who don't think so either are well-paid professionals, living off a nice trust fund, or just corporate crooks. Everyone else is on their way to the freeway underpass.

And how much did Michelle Obama spend at "J Crew" this month?

[ChromeFoundry]

6. Yeah, what happened?

last week the recession was over...now it's back again?

[BrklynLiberal]

7. ??? CNN is claiming unemployment DOWN in 21 states...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3889562

:wtf:

[socialwhat]

9. Unemployment can be down but job losses aren't

Unemployment goes down simply when people no longer collect unemployment. That is a trackable formula.

When new jobs are created in a State, no one states where the people are from that filled the jobs. So, employment may be up but who (from where) comprises the new jobs?

[socialwhat]

8. Thanks for the closer to realistic posting!

Thank you for showing the grim details of this
recession/depression.  Here are some other things to keep in
mind.

1.  Forumulas change for estimating "unemployment." 
The figure of 8.9% unemployment may be right based on the
current forumula but isn't right based on reality.  Say, for
ex., I am "fired from my job" (laid off).  That
counts as 1.  I can't find work for three years but I am no
longer on unemployment.  No one counts that - they just say
the unemployment number went down (hurray) because the numbers
went down.  So, the government reporting is inaccurate.  There
is no real way to track what happened.

Also imagine the fear higher "real" numbers would
instill in Americans.  The government likes lower numbers...
because they must.  Just like the government no longer shows
fallen soldiers coming home in caskets - it keeps us in the
dark; so, too, are they keeping us in the dark about what's
really happening.

2.  Our government doesn't count those who are now either
working two jobs to make ends meet or one job paying pittance
to the penny of the old job. 
3.  First, blue collar jobs were taken away 30 years ago. 
Michigan started a long-painful death.  Then white collar jobs
went overseas or to workers willing to accept much less money
than their counterparts were paid.  Now, that market has spun
out of control. 
4.  As States employ people, only a subset of people are
qualified for those jobs.  There are millions out there who
will remain jobless.

We are all in a new world.  I've saved the "brave"
part of that phrase because it isn't...  It will take years to
adjust or change to what has been created in this new
"American" reality.

[DemReadingDU]

10. It's all perception, everything's fine, have a great summer. all that, ugh

It's not fine when Chrysler and GM are shutting down factories and dealers throwing thousands (millions) into unemployment. One of these days, all this fake feel-good propaganda is not going to pacify the people.


and Welcome to DU!
:hi:

[Wednesdays]

11. K&R

:kick:

[PeteytehMawnstar]

12. My worry is,

Let me correct that, my dreaded fear is a repeat of early 2000 2001, and the media, administration/Washington, and everyone else settle for a jobless recovery. Then all the problems get swept under a rug again. It took me six months and after that job, a year to find employment shortly after graduation from university, and this was between mid 2004 and late 2005. Now my current employer is fighting to ensure that there are no layoffs, i feel relatively safe unless we totally crash and burn, but i know how difficult it is dealing with finding employment. My thoughts and prayers with those still searching.

[PeteytehMawnstar]

13. Oh look, what a Coinkydink

Happy 420 to myself...lol.