U.S. economy adds 74K jobs, rate falls to 6.7 percent

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a scant 74,000 jobs in December, the fewest in three years. The disappointing gain ends 2013 on a weak note after recent economic reports had raised hopes for a strong finish.

The Labor Department says the unemployment rate fell from 7 percent in November to 6.7 percent, the lowest level since October 2008. But the drop occurred partly because more Americans stopped looking for jobs. The government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively searching for work.
Cold weather may have slowed hiring. Construction firms cut 16,000 jobs, the biggest drop in 20 months.

December’s hiring is far below the average gain of 214,000 jobs a month in the preceding four months. But monthly gains averaged 182,000 last year, nearly matching the previous two years.


Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/10/us-economy-adds-74k-jobs-rate-falls-67-percent/#ixzz2q0KxeY4p
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Just last month 347,000 people dropped out of the labor force. 347,000

The Obama economic miracle continues…

Looks like December saw the LFPR drop down under 63% again.  That is Quite an achievement for The Big O. He is the first POTUS to oversee a LFPR going below 63% since Jimmy Carter in 1978. Carter at least had the excuse that women were not fully part of the workforce.

The O-pologists will say that it's old people retiring in record numbers. Thing there is, the baby boom generation is breaking all sorts of records when it comes to not actually retiring.

The percentage of Americans 55 to 64 that are still working has increased by 12%.
The percentage for 65 to 74 year olds more than doubled.
The percentage for 75 and over nearly tripled.

In every other demographic, the traditional working aged Americans, has decreased in LFPR under the Big O’s much heralded economic comeback.

Half the freaking country is on Obama handouts and 92 million aren't even in the labor force anymore.

Outerlimits, I'll take your criticism of President Obama as how you feel and accept what you say.

So having said that, what do you want President Obama and Congress to do about what you just reported?  What's your plan to fix the economy?
If at all possible please try not go on about how President Obama is/has ruined this country (maybe he has and maybe he hasn't) I would just like to know what your plan is to improve this country from total collapse.

We could go on for days trying to convince each other that things are good or bad so lets have some solutions for a change.

Thank you

The first step is to admit there is a problem. The second step is to make decisions based on statistics and fact, not on ideologies. Third is to make decisions that help the majority of Americans, not some special interest minority.

fshnski wrote:The first step is to admit there is a problem.

Please fsh, I already said this: "We could go on for days trying to convince each other that things are good or bad so lets have some solutions for a change."

Yes there is a problem so what do you want President Obama and Congress do to fix things.

If at all possible please don't say resign. We will just go on for ever and nothing will be accomplished.

This will be hard for you and if you can't do it then please just stay in the background and read what someone else might have for comments and solutions.

Who the heck do you think you are?

fshnski wrote:The first step is to admit there is a problem. The second step is to make decisions based on statistics and fact, not on ideologies. Third is to make decisions that help the majority of Americans, not some special interest minority.

OK fair enough. Give all of the statistics that you are talking about. Then give us some of the decisions that were made to not help the majority of Americans.

You need to back up what you say or please don't say anything.

Again, thank you

Since when are you making the rules here? You come in like a bully and you demean, dismiss and say awful things about anybody you disagree with. Now you think you are going to tell us what to do?

fshnski wrote:Since when are you making the rules here? You come in like a bully and you demean, dismiss and say awful things about anybody you disagree with. Now you think you are going to tell us what to do?

All I'm asking for is some data from you that backs up what you said. I'm not trying to bully you.

You said the President needs to "make decisions based on statistics and fact, not on ideologies"

So again I ask you: "Give all of the statistics that you are talking about. Then give us some of the decisions that were made to not help the majority of Americans."

Again, Thank You

The U.S. economy remains nearly 8 million jobs short of regaining its pre-recession health, the left-leaning economic policy institute estimates. At a pace of job creation of 180,000-200,000 jobs each month, it would take five to six years of continued growth to close that gap, according to the Hamilton Project, another left-of-center think tank.

The unemployment rate understates the weakness of U.S. labor markets because millions of Americans have dropped out of workforce entirely. Since late 2008, the labor force participation rate has fallen from 66 percent to near 63 percent, meaning that a smaller share of Americans are working or at least looking for work.

That decline is partially a reflection of long-term demographic trends, such as baby boomers entering retirement, and partially of workers becoming discouraged by the lack of openings and giving up the job search. Many of the Americans in the second category are expected to resume looking for work when the outlook improves, in many cases transitioning from being out of the labor force entirely to joining the ranks of the long-term unemployed.


http://washingtonexaminer.com/unemployment-rate-dips-below-7-as-workers-drop-out-of-workforce/article/2541938

fsh, you can post all day about how bad the economy is...SO, what do you want President Obama and Congress to do about what you just reported? What's your plan to fix the economy?
If at all possible please try not go on about how President Obama is/has ruined this country (maybe he has and maybe he hasn't) I would just like to know what your plan is to improve this country from total collapse.

We could go on for days trying to convince each other that things are good or bad so lets have some solutions for a change.

Again, Thank You

Chirp, Chirp!!    

Achigan wrote:Outerlimits, I'll take your criticism of President Obama as how you feel and accept what you say.

So having said that, what do you want President Obama and Congress to do about what you just reported?  What's your plan to fix the economy?
If at all possible please try not go on about how President Obama is/has ruined this country (maybe he has and maybe he hasn't) I would just like to know what your plan is to improve this country from total collapse.

We could go on for days trying to convince each other that things are good or bad so lets have some solutions for a change.

Thank you

In a nut shell…

If the government raises the costs,  barriers to entry and regulations on anything, there will be less of it.

Current example:  Threats of increased labor costs (healthcare and wages), regulation (EPA, picking winners and losers) and taxes.  

If the government subsidizes something, there will be more of it.

Current example: increasing welfare & unemployment.

Reign in regulations and corporate taxes.  The biggest threats to business (and the reason for the economic stall) are regulations, uncertainty and cost of labor.  Until those in Washington improve this macroeconomic environment, we will not see a true recovery.


And yes…
Obama resigning will not fix the problem.

I was going to say but Outer already did say, that getting rid of lots of rules and regulations will help businesses. It has gotten so no one is able to or wants to start a business now because there are so many rules and regs. Some of them are simply stupid too. They are just busywork, paperwork that is not necessary. They need to let the free market rule. This minimum wage talk is not helping things either. Can you imagine how the fast food places must be wondering what is going to happen with this? It it passes, it will certainly hurt their business The second thing is get rid of Obamacare. Businesses don't know what is going to happen with this, how much it is going to cost them and I think they have been holding off even since Obamcare passed. Third, get rid of the IRS or institute a flat tax. That will be so much less burdensome to businesses that they would expand and grow and hire people.

In short, if the government would just leave businesses alone, the economy would improve by leaps an bounds. Of course the gov. won't do that.

Sorry for the rambling thoughts but you asked so I typed as the thoughts came.

[quote="WHL"]I was going to say but Outer already did say, that getting rid of lots of rules and regulations will help businesses.  It has gotten so no one is able to or wants to start a business now because there are so many rules and regs.  Some of them are simply stupid too.  They are just busywork, paperwork that is not necessary. They need to let the free market rule.  This minimum wage talk is not helping things either.  Can you imagine how the fast food places must be wondering what is going to happen with this?  It it passes, it will certainly hurt their business The second thing is get rid of Obamacare.  Businesses don't know what is going to happen with this, how much it is going to cost them and I think they have been holding off even since Obamcare passed.  Third, get rid of the IRS or institute a flat tax.  That will be so much less burdensome to businesses that they would expand and grow and hire people.  

In short, if the government would just leave businesses alone, the economy would improve by leaps an bounds.  Of course the gov. won't do that.

Sorry for the rambling post but I typed as the thoughts came.

Thank you Outer and WHL. I'll have to study what you said but at glance some of the solutions look plausible.

Government is too big and there doesn't seem to be an end to their "Bureaucracy ". Make one Chief and the next thing you know a lot of little Indians pop-up to create an unbelievable "Bureaucracy".

The little Indians are allowed to take advantage of the systems set up by the chief. That is as long as they don't challenge the chief.

Achigan wrote:Thank you Outer and WHL.  I'll have to study what you said but at glance some of the solutions look plausible.

Government is too big and there doesn't seem to be an end to their "Bureaucracy ".  Make one Chief and the next thing you know a lot of little Indians pop-up to create an unbelievable "Bureaucracy".

Exactly, the growth of gov. is out of control, Achigan. The Bureaucracy is unbelievable.

Forget it, Achigan. You seem like a decent guy but you'll never get an honest discussion from the small group of regulars on this forum. They think there should be no taxes, no regulations, no Social Security and no Medicare in this country. They constantly whine about bloated government but never say a peep about our military budget that is more than the rest of the world combined. The biggest reason for the slow improvement of the economy is strictly Republican obstructionism and nothing else. They tried to sabotage the economy so Obama wouldn't get reelected and that didn't work. They're now trying to sabotage Obamacare and they'll be trying to sabotage Hillary once she announces her candidacy.

Don't look to the Forum of Gloom for any solutions. Their only mission is to destroy Obama. That's why there are only about 4 right wingers that make up this whole forum. We're just outliers who are only a thorn in their side!!

It's not in our side.

News Buzzard wrote:Forget it, Achigan. You seem like a decent guy but you'll never get an honest discussion from the small group of regulars on this forum. They think there should be no taxes, no regulations, no Social Security and no Medicare in this country. They constantly whine about bloated government but never say a peep about our military budget that is more than the rest of the world combined. The biggest reason for the slow improvement of the economy is strictly Republican obstructionism and nothing else. They tried to sabotage the economy so Obama wouldn't get reelected and that didn't work. They're now trying to sabotage Obamacare and they'll be trying to sabotage Hillary once she announces her candidacy.

Don't look to the Forum of Gloom for any solutions. Their only mission is to destroy Obama. That's why there are only about 4 right wingers that make up this whole forum. We're just outliers who are only a thorn in their side!!

Thank you NB and I agree. I was just trying to pull something out of them other than the hate they have for the Obama Administration. I think they feel frustrated with big government and try to blame the wrong people or party. It's not "party, it's "parties", and until they realize that it is going to be difficult to agree on anything.
As an example fsh constantly post everything he can find that is negative, not just about Obama, but the whole country. He forgets that he is an American citizen and should try to solve some of the problems instead of just posting them. It's people like him that are ruining this great nation and they can't seem to understand that. Sad Sad Sad.

Very sad, indeed!

News Buzzard wrote:Forget it, Achigan. You seem like a decent guy but you'll never get an honest discussion from the small group of regulars on this forum. They think there should be no taxes, no regulations, no Social Security and no Medicare in this country. They constantly whine about bloated government but never say a peep about our military budget that is more than the rest of the world combined. The biggest reason for the slow improvement of the economy is strictly Republican obstructionism and nothing else. They tried to sabotage the economy so Obama wouldn't get reelected and that didn't work. They're now trying to sabotage Obamacare and they'll be trying to sabotage Hillary once she announces her candidacy.

Don't look to the Forum of Gloom for any solutions. Their only mission is to destroy Obama. That's why there are only about 4 right wingers that make up this whole forum. We're just outliers who are only a thorn in their side!!

Why don’t you to refute the answers WHL and I have given Achigan instead of spewing a bunch of misinformation and left wing talking points?

I cannot speak for WHL…but as for your accusations…

They think there should be no taxes... Never said that, don’t believe that.
No regulations... Nope, never said that.
No Social Security...Social Security should be an opt-in. Seniors should keep it.
No Medicare in this country...Medicare needs to be completely overhauled not removed.


Achigan,

I appreciate your consideration, but I am not advocating a single chief. The Constitution does a pretty good job of limiting the power of our government. We just need to follow it.

This is not a Democrat vs. Republican issue anymore. Democrats in Washington are for big government while Republicans in Washington are for a slightly smaller big government.

It is like choosing between Spot and Fido.

FSH is correct. The next issue from Washington will be "income inequality". It is only to justify their redistributionist policies (mostly redistributed to their campaign supporters). The major cause of "income inequality," is lack of income; i.e., unemployment. One can just circle back to the last six years policies that have caused job losses, or loss of full time work (40 hours per week).

Full time has been re-defined as 28 hours, as a result of Obamacare.

So, now we have major "income inequality" that is Big Government caused, and in order to deal with it, we will have more Big Government solutions. Obama announced his "Promise Zones" this week, which will target those cities that he deems to be the poorest.

I agree with WHL. We need a major dose of free-market capitalism, and less government.

You spoke perfectly for me Outer. It is a problem of both parties this bloated government deal. We will admit it, NB and Achigan won't. They blame it all on the Republicans. And I also think the military is too big despite what NB said. Obama has had 5 years to make the military smaller but he hasn't done it. So I suppose that is the Repulicans fault too.