Well, it's official: The "Great Recession" is now the longest
recession since the Great Depression. Not only is it the longest - it is
the deepest. As capitalism continues to falter, the recessions get
longer and longer. The last longest one lasted the majority of George W.
Bush's presidency. As you can see by the red line that signifies the
current recession, we've got a long way to go before workers can
consider the economy "recovered." Of course, we also have to consider
how much worse and prolonged the crisis would be without the weak
efforts and stimulus and the auto bail out. And how much the Republican
plans for the economy would have severely aggravated the economic
crisis for working people if they had won out.
It's Not the Fault of Workers
Last week we posted and article that showed a link between education and unemployment rates. However, it is clear that
even those with advanced education and experience also have trouble finding work. And an article in US News and World Report shows
even business sources question attacking unemployment benefits. Rep. Rangel (D-NY) recently wrote
an article
on unemployment and poverty in the US, illustrating that unemployment
insurance is an individual worker's insurance program, not a handout.
Jobs are slowly returning, but what sort of jobs have been making a
comeback? According to
a data brief
(PDF) from the National Employment Law Project, "employment growth has
been concentrated in lower-wage occupations, with minimal growth in
mid-wage occupations and net losses in higher-wage occupations." In the
same vein,
Bloomberg agrees that low-wage jobs (like the ones Romney pats himself on the back for creating) aren't helping to end the recession.
On the Legislative Front
An article in the Wall Street Journal
reports
that more than a dozen states are considering legislation to make it
illegal for companies to discriminate against the unemployed. This would
mean that bosses could no longer legally put "must be currently
employed" in the want ad, nor refuse work to someone who is unemployed.
Unfortunately,
in Colorado an unemployment discrimination bill failed to pass thanks to the Republican-controlled House there.
Workplace Victories!
Meanwhile, we're seeing good news reported in the People's World from Oklahoma and Illinois. In Tulsa,
city workers win fight against privatization and in Chicago, workers at Republic Windows occupy again
and win again.
Please make sure to visit the
People's World online for the best in worker's news!
Other resources to check out:
Scott Marshall
Labor Chair, CPUSA
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