Unemployed Americans Are Still Way to Optimistic

[Liberal_in_LA]

Unemployed Americans Are Still Way to Optimistic

"Despite today's nearly double-digit unemployment rate, 4 in 10 unemployed Americans expect to get a job in the next four weeks and one in three underemployed have the same expectations with respect to obtaining a full-time job."

That's the finding of a new Gallup poll released yesterday. I guess it's nice that so many Americans remain upbeat in the face of our economic challenges.

But this goes beyond upbeat into pure delusion. As Mish points out, there are around 14.5 million unemployed people. In order to employ 40% of them, businesses would have to create 5.95 million jobs. In December 2009, 300,0000 jobs were created. And that was the strongest month for job creation in over a decade.

There are 8.9 million or so underemployed people, working part time for economic reasons. To employ a third of those, we'd need to create over 3.03 million more jobs.

What this means is that many Americans still have not processed the dire reality of our economic situation.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/41317225

[cutlassmama]

1. Isn't the REal number at 22%? I heard that on TV the other night

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. If underemployed, part time employed, those no longer looking are included

or so I've heard.

[cutlassmama]

4. Yes.

[Dan]

3. and the alternative is...?

[shanti]

33. exactly

n/t

[justiceischeap]

5. I would hope a journalist would know the difference between "to" and "too" n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. oops. I didn't catch that either!

[justiceischeap]

10. Could be an honest mistake but kinda sad no one caught it. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. typo is still there. lol

[JenniferJuniper]

14. yeah, it's hughly rediculous...

[Hydra]

7. This is why we aren't Egypt

The numbers aren't processing in most people's brains.

We are SO far in the hole that we would have to turn around today and drop all of our current economic policy in order just to get back to zero in a reasonable(2-4 year) period.

Obama already signaled that he's not interested in fixing it. A more proper response rationally speaking would be to panic.

[FirstLight]

12. the numbers...

maybe that's why teaching math in schools isn;t what it used to be...so we don't know how bad we are screwn...(It's supposed to be funny, but really isn't, i know)

but seriously, I was out of work for 2 years, and I just started a p/t job in dec...I guess technically I'm still one of those underemployed.
still on welfare, still need foodstamps, and still have housing assistance too...

without that help, we'd be on the street
so does me having a p/t job set me up for self sufficiency? not really

time to plant my community garden and work with my friends to form some contingency plans for when the shit really hits the fan, cuz it ain't far off, really.

[Hydra]

13. Nope, and get ready for it

I'm sorry to hear that you're part of the "invisibles."

I think it's more the "We're #1!" propaganda we get from day one. The myth of America is exceptionally powerful.

The reality is just as powerful, in a much more painful way.

[Kat45]

28. I agree with you.

I also think it's the "we're #1 propaganda" and the myth of America. People believe in American exceptionalism, both for the country and for themselves as individuals.

[Odin2005]

17. We are all brainwashed by "Infotainment Product", American Idol, and football.

[Raine]

34. I think people here when they lose hope are more apt

to turn it inward and fall into depression, drug adiction or commit suicide rather than to revolt.

[Capn Sunshine]

8. It's a good thing most Americans don't read DU then

because after about ten minutes here you want to throw yourself infront of a train.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. lol n/t

[jaxx]

20. That's for sure.

Reading here you'd give up and pull the covers over your head. Thank goodness most Americans are smarter than that.

[sufrommich]

21. lol. Damn those hopeful Americans. nt

[OHdem10]

15. What and how was the question worded????

[Odin2005]

16. CNBC editers cant spell gud.

[KG]

18. i have a job, and a pt job, still don't make what i used to at my real profession.

maybe a couple years before i can go back to at my old pay. maybe never.

[bluerum]

19. Math is not a national past time. eom

[XanaDUer]

22. Reality will eventually kick the stuffing out of

optimism.

[SoCalDem]

23. cnbc needs a dictionary

:evilgrin:

that said, it's because we have all been told and told and told and told, that if we work hard enough, long enough, everything's gonna be okay.:(

no one wants to believe that they may have had their best job ever..for the rest of their life..and it's gone:(

[Modern_Matthew]

24. I'm certainly NOT optimistic...

I live in a small town in east KY and can't even find a job at a grocery store or gas station.

[Edweird]

25. It's that 'power of positve thinking' bullshit.

"If I wish hard enough everything will be ok"
It's denial on a massive scale.

[Curmudgeoness]

26. I think they have to keep their hopes up. That, or ...

they just give up, curl into a fetal position, and eat handfuls of pills?

But your last statement rings true. I do believe that most people are not aware of just how bad it is.

[Kat45]

27. I wonder if the people polled happen to be newly unemployed.

I've been unemployed for over two years now, and with each week that goes by, I feel less likely that I will get a job in the next four weeks.

[Raine]

29. Living in hopelessness 24/7 is not something most people can contend with. nt

[Igel]

30. You misread the math.

The total additional jobs in 12/2010 was about 300k, seasonally adjusted.

So it's the difference between job gains and job losses.

First you consider the number of people who were hired. Maybe it was 300,001, maybe it was 15,395,204. You can't tell given just the "jobs created" number.

Then you have to look at the number of people who were fired, retired, died, quit, laid off, etc. Perhaps it was 1, so that 300,001 - 1 gives that magic "300,000" number. Perhaps it was 15,095,203, so that 15,395,204 - 15,095,203 = 300,000.

If 1 person's former job was in need of being replaced, it means that the unemployed really do just have to find a newly created job. If 15,000,000 people were fired, died, quit, returned to school, etc., etc., then it's fairly easy for an unemployed person to get a job. The reality is always in between.

The unemployment figures this time around have gotten some discussion, not charitable, in the other-than-progressive sources I peruse now and then. Apparently in prior recessions the long-term unemployed figures were quite manageable--you'd stand a good chance of getting a job after 6-9 months even with a high unemployment rate simply because of turnover in the workplace. This time workplace turnover is sharply reduced, and I haven't seen a convincing analysis and hypothesis as to why. I've seen snarky and unconvincing analyses.

However, workplace turnover may be decreased from the previous 2-3 recessions but it's still far from zero. Perhaps "cautious optimism" is appropriate. (I'm optimistic that I'll get a job next year. I don't think my wife will.)

[PassingFair]

31. Forget math, what about ENGLISH...Way "To" Optimistic?

The preposition to refers to a place, direction, or position. To is also used before the verb in an infinitive. The adverb too means "also" or "excessively."
Examples:

Meg was too tired to walk home. I was tired, too. We walked to a phone booth and called a cab.


Jeez...this from CNBC?

[lib2DaBone]

32. Just pull yourself up by your Republican Bootstraps...

As we all know.. Americans are just lazy louts and the only reason they don't work is because they don't want to...

Average Americans make $250,000 per year.... well.. just ask Congress or Fox News.....

[sendero]

35. Never underestimate the power of "positive.

.... thinking" to make things worse.

If you cannot assess reality with any accuracy, you cannot prepare for it.