I live 60 miles west of Chicago, and yesterday we jumped to 25% unemploy. That's insane. We were a huge manufacture hub. Wasn't the great depression overall unemployment at 25%? It's probably higher where I live too, since so many have given up looking, only have part time jobs, or leave with folks. It's rough times...not just rough, but hardcore.

This is nothing new. This has been going on since the Reagan days when companies starting moving middle class jobs out of the United States to save money. Back when they actually received tax incentives to do so under the guise of helping developing countries.

Free trade, nafta, corporations lobbyists, and political parties that scream anytime you try to do something that will benefit the country but hurt a multi-national corporations guarantees this will continue.

One of the most important threads and it has gotten only a few replies. I think that's the greater attitude of most of us nowadays. Does it really matter if unemployment gets worse? Is it really a surprise? I mean WallStreet doesn't care. The stock market keeps going up and up. I live in Southern California. And it must be a damn bubble down here. It's as if the recession is nonexistant. And CA is a mess and has high unemployment. But people are still spending like crazy. My hospital just granted us a cost of living increase.......I'm grateful I guess........but at the same time if the economy continues to deteriorate they will have regretted it. That's the biggest problem nowadays. Companies and corporations have no foresight. They operate on knee jerk reactions. No planning for a rainy day. How much does the average business have saved up for economic crises? Obviously not much considering. They blow through money as much as individuals. As much profit as some of these companies make you'd think they'd have enough savings to operate at a loss for years.

I love it, 20% unemployment and the communists still worship their czar.

Does anybody know what the natural underemployment rate is?

Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but the unemployment rate can never get below 3% or so. This is because even in the best job markets, people are going still going to quit their jobs or get fired, and it takes time for these people to find another job.

My guess is that no matter how strong the job market is, there are always going to be some underemployment. There are always going to be people for one reason or another who are not going to be able to secure a good job. Does anybody know what this number is?

so many economic problems right now. this is not suprising at all. i know people with MBAs doing data entry.

but that government is doing a nice pump with the stock market. seems real successful now. feel bad for the people who think this is working, when their dollar is worth pennies on the dollar they will probably want another bailout....and won't realize printing more money and watching those markets inflate is the worst thing you can do.

I don't care what the market or media says, we're far away from any kind or real recovery. The markets have bounced back because people haven't gotten the big picture yet. There are still many suckers to be had. I, too, find it a bit ridiculous how most people are acting like nothing happened and just moving on. It's rather bizarre. Before the recession hit, I knew it was going to bust hard. Now that we've reinflated the bubble, I realize it's going to crash harder. The game is rigged, and we've got what, 4-6 months before the commercial real estate bubble starts crashing? If we make it through that, we'll most likely see runaway inflation next, sometime in 3-5 years or so.

I'm just pleased to finally have gotten through to my parents. I've been screaming at them for two years to dump their stocks and buy silver. Last week they told me that they can see it's likely to all come crashing down eventually and they're ready to invest in silver. It's about time!