U.S. unemployment rate hits a five-year high

As one who knows barely more than a 1st grader regarding stocks, politics, back scratching and the general kissing of b*** in our beloved USA, God Bless the USA, I can only speculate as to what the heck is going on. Sitting on the sidelines, it appears that, the overabundance of illegal immigrants is driving down the general earnings for those Americans who do want to work. Americans are being laid off perhaps because the illegals are in the "basements" doing twice the work for half the pay. On the other hand, the larger than life CEO's of these business aren't doing much for the business except draining them dry of payroll funds with their excessive "wages". Most every American wants to be the next Billionaire and then there are those Americans who do not want to work but still be a Billionaire. These are the ones who have and will continue to sit on their B*** and allow the working Americans to pay their way, like say, hmmm, I don't know, the woman still on FEMA that was on the news, or the one who has a dozen kids on welfare. As you may have noticed, my soap box issues are illegal immigrants (send them back to their home, let them come back the legal way), Americans who sit on their B*** taking money out of my pockets whether it's through Welfare, Fema or some CEO. As we can all figure out, it comes out of our pocket in one form or another. Once, I wrote the president regarding the Gas Prices and their BILLIONS of dollars of profit. I remarked that, It will come a day when the average hard working American cannot put gasoline in their vehicle to go to work, that day will add another American to the welfare roll and increase our unemployment or that American will realize that it pays more to sit on their B*** and collect the welfare than to go out and struggle. Who then will be paying all the taxes, that pay the welfare, fema and all the services that illegal immigrants get for $0 dollars, like medical. Those large and in charge CEO's and Billions of dollars of Profit Industries will be paying it. I have a smallllll business. There are just 2 workers now (my husband and myself), thanks to the economy and the B*** who mentioned the "R" (ecession) word around August 2007. Our business relies on gasoline to keep it going. In 2006 I spent more for gasoline than I made in wages, to power two trucks and two lawnmowers. Thanks to the cost of gasoline, and the mentioning of "Recession", work shut down like turning off a faucet. Not even a dribble. I had to reduce my work force (adding to unemployment) while still trying to take on more business to cover the cost of the gasoline. Unlike most business, I did not and will not hap-hazardly raise all my prices and price myself out of a business. There's just so much price raising that can happen before you realize that maybe you don't need that service or that extra gallon of milk. So where do we stand as the actual hard working Americans? Screwed. From the illegals hiding in the basements taking our pay to the Welfare squatters sitting on their B***'s taking our pay, to the CEO's taking our pay to the Gasoline industry taking even more of our pay. Granted, I believe everyone deserves an honest days wages for an honest days work. They must be one heck of a person or business to be worth paying that much for. NOT. I firmly believe that the culmination of all of the above and more (other soap box issues I have) is at least partly responsible for the increase in unemployment. Like I said, I barely know more than a 1st grader when it comes to how America is supposed to work, financially, but I have eyes and ears and a business and I don't really believe that the way things are being run now and in the last, say, 40 years has been good business sense for the workers in America. I don't really believe it can be blamed on just one person. His or hers decision's and actions or lack of, only contribute to the good and the bad. It's really a much larger picture than just one person or business or political affiliation. It's partly "The Power Struggle", who will "Rule the roost", who will be "King of the Hill". Unfortunately that hill is being undermined one shovel full at a time until it will be just a big ole mud hole and all are falling in, getting dirty, struggling to get out of that hole. How much longer will the average hard working American be able to hang on while all around us, others are "taking that shovel full" right out of our pockets"? I'll step off my soap box now. Sorry for venting. Thanks for listening (reading).

American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God. Loweralgrl

The only people who should be getting laid off are the Congressmen and Senators who have allowed this to get this bad. They are responsible for this mess -- not the White House.

They have done nothing to make this country more independent of foreigh oil over the past 15 years or created any incentives for alternative fuels, not counting corn gas which is a tax payers disaster in itself.

In the past 4 Years with the Democrats in charge it has gotten worse with even less being done. So what do the Dems do -- they take a break and continue to ignore the issues.

Blame the real culprits - and include the environmental whack - Os

Yea, I want to let them (Dems) get ahold of the entire Washington scene.

Why is it that you Republicans are so hard headed and stubborn? You can obviously see the effects that the Bush administration has had on this country (foreign and domestic). Pull your head out and take a serious look at yourself, your party and what you've become.

As long as "We the People" keep voting for theses idiots that are in favor of GLOBALIZATION, who refuse to secure our boarders, while granting amnesty for illegal immigrants, then we only have ourselves to blame. We can expect to see more of the same problems which will continue to escalate. We can not trust them by their promises, they are only telling us what we want to hear. Look into their voting records if you want the truth. Once a traitor always a traitor. Leopards can not change their spots. Did you know that the U.S. borrowed $1.6 BILLION from China for the stimulus check that were recently sent? Did a lot of good didn't it? This country is on the verge of BANKRUPTCY, but your government does not care as long as they and their loved ones don't have to suffer the consequences. We've been sold down the river. What's next the reinstatement of slavery to pay off our debts?

Of course they are not going to tell you anything. They love to see American Jobs go to India.
So sad but true. Then he picks the women to be vice president - Wow - What was he thinking. He thinks
this women is going to make him younger or something. This is a inportant job. Nothing to joke with.
I am a repulican but I am not voting for this guy.

Gus - The blame does belong on the white house. It is the president's (I use that term loosely) job to set and oversee fiscal policy as well as domestic policy. Your boy george screwed up royally.

Unemployment is up because all the jobs have gone over seas. And the other jobs are taken by the illegal immigrants in this country. We can blame George Bush, the liar, for all the misfortune in this country. He's lied to all of us from day one, so what do you expect. Bush made America, one of the worst countries in the world.

i was a pow i can fix anything...the old man and the pretty woman don't have a chance....all they got is hate and fear...hate and fear...well i'm sorr but you can't put hate in the gas tank or fear will not pay your food bill.

It's funny, I remember the very next day after the election when congress was controlled by the Democrats (by one seat) Rush, Hannitty, Coulter and all the other NeoCon Nazis blamed the sorry state of the nation on the Democrats. The Republicans are such pathetic losers. You can obviously see the effects that the Bush administration has had on this country (foreign and domestic). Pull your head out and take a serious look at yourself, your party and what you've become.

4everamerica, you know if you don't like it here you can move to one of the other countries that you would find better -- Nothing stopping you -- go ahead -- Bye Bye

All of this and the republicans are looking to lose another 79,000 jobs and 19 billion of investment by not renewing the alternative energy incentives. Maybe I missed it but how many jobs would be gained by the Drill, baby, Drill policy?

How can we generate jobs when they are all moving overseas and using third party companies to cut costs? We need to bring industry back to the U.S.

Thanks to Bush and Mc Bush we are now at an all time high regarding job loss. America cannot take 4 more years of this. Last night's convention floor shows proof that the middle class and poor are hurting. The lack of diversity and the sheer inclusion of the wealthy was sickening. The Republican party are out of touch with Americans and our suffering. Last nights speech was proof of that. Not one mention about Mc Bush's plans for the poor and middle class. OH! I forgot he is going to give tax breaks to those middle class making $2.5 million per year. Well at least that's down from his proposal of giving tax breaks to those whose household income is that of $5million per year . The thinks this is middle class what about the people of Ohio whose income is that of less than $50K per year? Don't we deserve a break. REPUBLICANS ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE CONVENTION FLOOR SHOWED COMPLETE EVIDENCE OF THIS. HEY REPUBLICANS AMERICA'S DEMOGRAPHICS IS MUCH MORE THAN 99% WEALTHY WHITES AND1% WEALTHY MINORITIES.

PALIN IS SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY. READ SOME OF THE THINGS IN WHICH SHE SAYS ABOUT THE LOWER 48. SHE HAS NO IDEA ABOUT AMERICA, THE ECONOMY, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ETC. SHE IS SO CLOSED MINDED.

75000 jobs lost.......if we deport 1% of the illegal mexicans each month and let american citizens have the jobs, we will have no unemployment in less than 10 months. OH, wait what about the people like the 47 year old teamster that posted above. he refuses to work. what about the welfare people, they refuse to work, they get everything for free.

the real issue here is personal accountability. for all the people in the country, from the president to the 90 year old homeless guy.If everybody would accept responsibility for their actions and quit trying to blame the problems on someone else...This Country would truely be great again.

I work three jobs, one to support my family and two to help pay expenses for my handicapped son. Will I ever retire, yes, when they close the lid on my casket. Will I ever be rich, I already am, there is so much more to life than money. will I ever see an sucessful honest politician, no, the honest ones tell the truth and don't get elected, the liars tell idiots what they want to hear and the get elected. this year I will vote like I always do, not for the one that promises the unattainable, but for the one that that lies the least.

Good Luck to The American People. Hopefully they win the election.

Big business here in the states continue to outsource jobs and we have become a nation of service workers and consumers. There is nothing wrong servicing the products, but when did we stop manufacturing things? As we continue to support other countries, we flounder here in our own backyard. I suggest that for a short time span we take an isolationist stand and take care of our own. Let the other countries fend from themselves and start poiuring money into OUR needy, OUR hurt, OUR downtrodden. I know that the statue of liberty states, "Give me your poor, downtrodden", but its time to stop and help ourselves. And simply saying that we should just buy a hybrid car and get rid of our gas guzzlers isn't the answer. I, personally, don't have that kind of money laying around to purchase one of these new cars AND they only take PREMIUM gas when you do use gas! Finding a station that makes the alternative available is like finding a needle in the haystack. So either way..you screwed! And yes, it is also easy to point fingers and blame Republicans/Democrats (whom ever) but it doesn't solve the problems that have presented themselves. Our value systems are scued. We pay professional athletes MILLIONS to play kids' games and our public servants scrape to get by. We pay retired public officials hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Why can't they work like the rest of us and live off what the rest of live off on Social Security? And the widows get pensions too! Maybe I should marry a senator or govenor so that I can be taken care by the taxpayers for the rest of my life too! (Getting down off my soapbox!)

My company wants to eliminate 20-25% of it's US based workforce over the next few months. It is all about sending jobs overseas and reaping profits. It started in the Blue collar sector years ago and has increasingly become popular in the White collar sector today. U.S. companies eliminating jobs is bad enough but to send them offshore is a slap in the face to every American.

The Mortgage banking industry, the greed that is driving jobs overseas, the lack of compassion for fellow Americans, a system that won't provide health care for all Americans, for politicians who make speeches but won't stick with the true facts (like that speech we heard last night by McCain)

The facts speak for themselves. No McCain! No Palin! No Republicans, no Democrats or no Independents, who won't do their best to tell people the truth about what policy has done to mess up America!

One things I am convinced about America and that is that great Americans, like Lincoln, King and others, try to tell the truth. They can fall short of the mark (we're all human) but they give it their best try. What we heard last night (and the night before) did not even come close!

Pray for America and the world. We needs a Savior (like the one who died on the Cross of Calvary)!

84,000 Jobs lost, did you ever hear of the people who caused the housing debacle by lending money to non-qualified home owners with a variable mortgage.
2.5 percent sounds great. So how does 5% sound. Most of the people unemployed this month
are the crooks who have gotten this country in the mess it's in now. And if you've lost money in the stock market, get ready for next month. One last statement, President Bush you are wrong to bail out
Freddie and Fannie, Socialism is a great thing Right?

What libs conveniently ignore that most of these job losses are in states like Michigan where taxes have been raised like hell and government spending is out of control....
Look up the states with the greater unemployment rates and it validates my contention that the Dems sure know how to help wreck an economy.
So why not install someone like Obama who wants to continue raising taxes....ought to be great for the economy don't you think??

I am one of the people that lost my job in may of this year. What's happening to add injury to insult is the fact that employers lie about the reason the person is gone to the unemployment office and the EDD gladly accepts the lies and denies benefits. The appeal process takes months to get on the calender and then that judge again entered inaccurate, totally wrong testimony to be as mine, again UI benefits was denied. Again, the review board will take 8-12 weeks to look at my claim. All this because they don't want to pay out benefits either to those, no fault of their own, have no job. The system is stressed out and is killing us. In this whole unemployment sector and appeals court sector, nobody is taking the time to do their job right in the first place. I'm sure I am not the only one this has happened to either. It is one frustrating experience and will literally bankrupt us. BUT this all happens on time and money from the people that are getting paid to screw us

You cannot have two wars and give tax breaks to the people with all the money. The reality of it was they thought they would be able to go into Iraq and take over. That was the plan. We are going to take over the oil in the middle east. Now did you really think those other countries in the middle east were going to sit back and watch that happen. That is there bread and butter. That is how they eat and keep their people oppressed. The oil cartel are the one's funding these extremist. So now that it didn't work in the middle east they wanted to get at the oil another way and now that is back firing. They were trying to get at Georgia's oil. Convinced those people to attack and now they are about to become a part of Russia. And now we will have to kiss Russia's but, because there is a big old huge oil pipe that most of the world's oil flows through over there. Now did these people really believe that Russia's was going to sit back and just let that happen. So here it is now we are going to send a billion dollars to Georgia and people are getting cut off of unemployment and forced out of their homes. How much health care can that pay for. How many homes can be saved with that money. But there are some American citizens who are going to vote for McCain because they just can't imagine someone like Obama being there President. Well I don't even think we have begun to see how bad it's going to be until we have another 4 years of this. Just wait and see.

I work in manufactuing. Most of the lost jobs in the GWB era came from this sector. Here are some interesting things I have found:

1) The Bush admin did a good job of "opening markets" in other countries. The problem is that these other countries only agreed to open their doors to US goods, IF the US companies would put manufacturing centers INSIDE these new markets. As a result, the goods made in these "cheap labor" areas were less expensive to make, and WE AMERICANS bought them rather than the goods made here.

2) The Bush admin has done little to penalize companies that move their manufacturing (and even development) centers to low-cost labor countries. GWB's admin has been hugely pro-business and given too much freedom to businesses to move off-shore.

3) Here's the good news: the goods made in foreign countries are not a whole lot cheaper than those made in the US anymore. In fact, my company could only realize about 12% reduction in real cost of goods produced in its Chinese factory. So, we're probably going to be bringing the factory work back to the US again. (This is due to increases in shipping costs, but more than that, Chinese labor isn't that cheap anymore.)

I really like McCain as a person, and I don't think Palin is all that bad -- even with lack of experience. However, I worry that McCain's agenda will do little to "encourage" US businesses to bring their manufacturing back.

If the US citizens would simply stop buying foreign-made goods, it would help!

Historical context I know Republicans and conservatives don't like -
During Clintons 8 years in office
- Jobs increased
- Pay increased
- Education was affordable
- Even after two conflicts (Bosnia and Africa) the GAO was reporting an expected government supplus
- Only the rich complained about taxes, this is because - if you were paying taxes, then you were working - if you were not paying taxes, then you were either rich or unemployed
- Opportunity was high
- Hope was high
Obama is doing the wise thing to reference those years and to focus on getting us back there.

More statistics about GOP vs Dem economics

Unemployment Rates (US average)
at end of 1992 - 7.5% (the last year of G. Bush's presidency) at end of 2000 - 4.0% (the last year of B. Clinton's presidency)
present - 6.1% (the rate as of Aug '08 -- continuing a growth pattern of approx. .2% per month, the last year of GW Bush's presidency)

Dow Jones Annual Growth Rates: 33% -- R Reagan's Presidency
13% -- G Bush's Presidency
57% -- B Clinton's Presidency
1.5% -- GW Bush's Presidency

The Gulf War, (starting during G Bush's admin and ending during B Clinton's admin) began in Aug, 1990 and ended in Feb of 1991. The war was successful in its goal of pushing out the Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
Total allied force casualties: 480 (293 Americans, 148 in battle)
Of the 148 American troops who died in battle, 24% were killed by friendly fire, a total of 35 service personnel.

The "Second Gulf War" (Desert Storm) began in March, 2003 and is continuing today.
Total allied force casualties: 4,463 (4,150 from the US) Prior to the start of the "Second Gulf War," the US also set out to capture and destroy a small faction of terrorists who were behind the infamous Sept 11, 2001 attacks on US soil. To date, many of the leaders of this group remain at large, including Osama Bin Laden, the group's master-mind.

We are struggling with a mismanaged lending system that has led to one of the worst housing industry conditions in history. Unemployment rates are rising while US average wages are falling. More companies are moving off-shore than ever before, and the US automakers are suffering their worst years in history. Oil remains at or near record highs, and the dollar remains the weakest it has been in decades.

In the words of Barak Obama, "Tonight, more Americans are out of work, and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes, and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay and tuition that's beyond your reach."

The cause: "broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush."

"America, we are better than these last eight years," he said. "We are a better country than this."

I'm tending to agree with him more and more every day.

You can't deny that george bush and his idealogues have run this economy into the ground.