Why is unemployment high?

[lumberjack_jeff]

With a national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent, domestic job creation is at the top of President Barack Obama's agenda and such findings could add to calls to tighten up on illegal immigration. But much of it is Hispanic and the growing Latino vote is a key base for Obama's Democratic Party.

Many of the new arrivals, according to employers, brought with them skills required of the building trade and found work in sectors such as construction, where jobless rates are high.

"Employers have chosen to use new immigrants over native-born workers and have continued to displace large numbers of blue-collar workers and young adults without college degrees," said Andrew Sum, the director of the Center for Labor Market Studies. "One of the advantages of hiring, particularly young, undocumented immigrants, is the fact that employers do not have to pay health benefits or basic payroll taxes," said Sum.

From 2008 to 2010, 1.1 million new migrants who have entered America since 2008 landed jobs, even as U.S. household employment declined by 6.26 million over that same period.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/20/us-usa-immigrants-employmentexclusive-idUSTRE70J37P20110120?pageNumber=1

Edited to add the link

[Newest Reality]

1. Robots and automation in general

still play into the equation, as well. As automation continues to improve and streamline while also becoming even more prevalent, the political and social ramifications from the technological revolution will stand out more, as they once did.

In a reasonable and rational society, we might be compelled to reconsider the nature of work and the distribution of wealth. Instead, we see the alliance of money, power and manipulation as more than just economic factors to enhance wealth.

It is multifaceted.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. I laughed at "robots."

:blush:

[upi402]

2. Employers who in-source exploitable labor should be fined out of existence! n/t

[madrchsod]

3. need a link......

[Starry Messenger]

4. It has also been posted on FR, interestingly.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2660347/posts

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. Fixed. n/t

[msongs]

5. immigrants = work for less $$, all other reasons are just PR nt

[Diana9]

8. The system is rigged...

for low wages and increased profits for corporate shareholders. Look what happened when corporations laid
off millions of workers, they had record profits.

It's the "boom" and "bust" strategy. When the market is in a boom period, wages go up, then when the inevitable "bust" comes, they seize the opportunity to lower wages and/or lay people off.

In the midst of this, the banks have covered the shortfall by offering "easy credit" so that low earners could buy products they couldn't afford. When they can't afford to pay back the loans, the banks use credit default swaps to spread the risk, and when that fails, they get a bailout from the taxpayer.

No matter what happens, they profit and the rest of us lose.

[Nikia]

9. How about mandatory overtime?

Some businesses force their workers to work 60+ hours per week. They could hire more people. They don't because they'd have to pay for more health insurance.

[Skittles]

10. jobs ARE being created - just not in America