The Labor Dept and a Little Business Reality

You know, I've been pretty vocal (as anyone who knows me in person can attest) about how the government hides statistics in their regular public reports, but I have to say, lately the Labor Dept has been earning back a bit of my respect. For whatever reason they have started honestly reporting their numbers. Well, that or the news media has finally gotten off their rumps and started to actually tell people about it.

Either way, looking at their latest release which includes up through Jan 2012 you'll see that they have finally admitted what I have been trying to explain to people. Participation in the workforce has been steadily declining since President Obama got into office in Jan 2009.

Now, I can hear his supporters saying already, "But that is because of what President Bush left him with!" They'd even be partially correct. HOWEVER, President Bush actually forced the Congress to vote on and pass a budget on a yearly basis (the 2009 budget being his last) after which the Senate has not passed a single budget since President Obama took office, something required by law. Of course, they don't need to with their "Continuing Resolutions" and their knowledge that the Republicans lead by Boehner and McConnell will cave before letting the government shut down. Anyone in business knows you don't plan things on a 2-3 month basis. Christmas last year had been planned since at LEAST January last year by most retail businesses. Of course nobody is hiring. Moving on...

If you look at the numbers you'll see that participation was reasonably stable in 2008, holding around 66% until November when the business world basically said, "Crap!" as President Obama got elected and dropped an immediate 0.2% (doesn't seem like a lot, but that's 622,000 people). Businesses all knew the AHCA was coming (my dad actually sold his business because he couldn't afford the changes required), the Dems had been pushing it since Clinton was president, but they were thankfully denied by Newt and his Contract leading to a Republican majority in Congress. It didn't hurt that Herman Cain schooled Clinton on the topic at a townhall before Clinton cut him off, it's too bad nobody remembered it until Cain decided to run for the Republican nomination. I'll recommend it again, read the AHCA sometime. You'll see all sorts of fun changes that result in lower employment. Like the fact that anyone that works more than 30 hours in a week must be covered by the company's healthcare plan. This includes seasonal workers by the way, if they work over 30 hours in any week during the entire year (can you say, "Retailers at Christmas"?).

Start looking at what your reps in Congress are really doing folks, you might want to consider voting for someone else.