13.1M Americans remain unemployed / White House threw secret "Alice in Wonderland" bash in October 2009

The two stories enclosed tell the tale regardless of what the White House may want to spin politically....Unemployment is the issue that most challenges our nation as we need to have people working to improve our economy. Unemployment checks are a patch but to ensure that workers become consumers, they need a job and a regular income.

The fact that the average American understands this simple concept but politicians fail to grasp this is the issue in the 2012 election. Based on what we have seen over the last three years, the President hasn't got a leg to stand on.

Meanwhile, the level of insensitivity shown by the Obama Administration to those out of work is demonstrated by the article at this link -

White House threw secret 'Alice in Wonderland' bash during recession - NY POST

A White House “Alice in Wonderland” costume ball — put on by Johnny Depp and Hollywood director Tim Burton — proved to be a Mad-as-a-Hatter idea that was never made public for fear of a political backlash during hard economic times, according to a new tell-all.

“The Obamas,” by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor, tells of the first Halloween party the first couple feted at the White House in October 2009. It was so over the top that “Star Wars” creator George Lucas sent the original Chewbacca to mingle with invited guests.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/in_blunderland_hKpNQkHfvpEWe4F51kI4dP#ixzz1it445MEw

Clueless. Totally clueless. The recession was at it's worse so they hid the lavish affair from the press and the public for fear of a backlash. And people wonder why those who want Obama out of the White House are so opposed to this Politician.

Obama and his lecturing wife really don't care about the average citizen or the problems of our country. They are too busy running up a luxury tab on the taxpayer's dime. Obama is unworthy of being in the White House and has shown a complete lack of understanding for what is required as Leader of our nation. Leaders take care of the needs of others first, as that is what is required. With millions losing their homes, the Obama's treated themselves first.


13.1M Americans remain unemployed
Jan. 7, 2012
Written by Derek Kravitz
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — For many people whose job prospects faded most during the recession, 2011 brought a small dose of relief.

When unemployment was surging, the youngest U.S. workers, the oldest, those without college degrees and men as a whole all suffered disproportionately. Last year, those groups — whose unemployment rates still exceed the national average — had better success than others in finding jobs, according to Labor Department data released Friday.

Many found low-paying jobs in technology firms and as health care technicians, machinists, autoworkers, hotel and store clerks and waiters.

All told, about 13.1 million Americans remain unemployed. About 2.5 million have quit looking for work altogether.

Education

Unemployment among workers with less than a high school diploma fell from 15.1 percent to 13.8 percent. By comparison, unemployment for those with a bachelor's degree declined by a smaller margin, from 4.8 percent to 4.1 percent.

"The less-educated tend to suffer more in downturns and recover more rapidly when employment picks up," said Lawrence Katz, a Harvard labor and economics professor.

Gender

The unemployment rate for men fell more than twice as fast as for women in 2011. Hiring was strong among male-dominated industries like manufacturing. And more men entered some fields long dominated by women, including health care and retail.

The unemployment rate for men sank from 10 percent to 8.7 percent. But women remain better off. Their rate fell from 8.6 percent to 8.3 percent.

Age

In 2011, employment prospects were best for workers ages 20 to 24 and those 65 and up. Some young men are being hired for entry-level positions at lower pay than in years past. And some retirees returned to the workforce last year after their retirement portfolios took a beating over the past four years.

Unemployment is dropping faster for those ages 35 to 64. But part of the reason is that a disproportionate share of people in this age group have given up looking for jobs. Once people stop looking for work, they're no longer counted as unemployed.

Race

Unemployment fell most among Hispanics. Their rate declined from 12.9 percent to 11 percent. In part, that's because a larger-than-average share of Hispanics have stopped looking for work.

Immigration has also slowed. That means there are fewer foreign-born job-seekers in the United States.

Since the recession ended more than two years ago, the employment gap between blacks and whites has widened. The rate for African-Americans was unchanged last year at 15.8 percent. By comparison, white unemployment fell from 8.5 percent to 7.5 percent.