The economy has added on average 202,000 new jobs each month over the past six months, and the unemployment rate is now at 7.6%.
Good news, right?
Well, a little yes and a lot no.
Of those 202,000, over 50% were part-time jobs and minimum wage jobs in the restaurant, entertainment and retail industries. In fact, in the manufacturing industry, once a bastion of the American economy, over 60,000 jobs were lost.
Now I’m going to do a little math for you, so hang with me for a second so we can get a better perspective of this economic news.
Minimum wage in Washington State, where I live, is $9.19 per hour. Let’s say you get a part-time job working for a convenience store and you work 25 hours per week….let’s see, that comes to $229.75 per week, or $919.00 per month. Are you with me so far?
An average one bedroom home in Olympia rents for a little over $800 per month; an average studio apartment for slightly more than $610 per month.
My question is this: how is it good news that most jobs being added to the economy are part-time, minimum wage jobs?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a pretty positive human being, and I’ve got my rose-colored glasses on now as I type this, but still…….
There was another interesting statistic that came out last week. 36% of the age group between 18-32 in the United States still live at home with their parents. Oh my God! I guess there is no danger of anyone suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome in the good old U.S. of A. now is there?
So here is my main point: times are tough regardless of what the government would want us to believe. Statistics are black and white numbers on a page. Human beings are flesh and blood and feelings and pain and happiness and….well, people that I know and you know.
Bev and I are getting by. We won’t be flying off to jolly old England anytime soon for a vacation, but we manage to get the bills paid monthly. I have friends, however, who are scrambling big time to keep from losing their homes, cars and other possessions, and in fact are having a hard time paying for groceries.
As you go about your day today, try to be a tad bit more empathetic and compassionate to others. The person you smile at today might just be the person who smiles at you when your days darken.
Bill
A Moment With Bill 
Bill, I couldn’t agree with you more (what shock) once again. I know these numbers are truly just that, but they don’t explain them for the average person. So people thing that things are getting better and it may look like that, but in reality they aren’t, because although jobs are being added it is truly not the types of jobs that are really the most high paying and are only minimum wage type jobs. So, I think we all just do what we need and have to do to get by at this point. And I know all about counting every penny at the grocery store. I do this and even use coupons (that the once younger me would have scoffed at). But you are right times are tough and we do what we need to survive and get by my friend. As much as I wish it were different this is the sad reality I suppose.
Janine, it drives me crazy when I see the government bragging about an increase in employment. I’d love to see a senator live on a part time job paying nine bucks an hour. LOL That wouldn’t pay his bar bill for a month!
Thank you my coupon-cutting friend. 🙂
Bill, the increase in jobs is deceiving. Large companies are hiring part-time employees in order to avoid having to pay for health insurance. It puts the burden entirely on the employees. I just had this conversation with one of the girls that works at Winn-Dixie. She says they are on a hiring spree right now – for part-time positions. The Affordable Healthcare Act is to blame. Large companies (say they) can’t afford the premiums. Neither can those who are living on part-time income. The only reason all these jobs are being created is so companies can avoid paying premiums and they have the added benefit of paying the equivalent of one full-time salary for 2 part-time workers. This is no panacea. It’s a cover-up.
Yes it is a cover-up, Sha, and it is deceiving and wrong. I want to see a politician live on nine bucks an hour and then tell us all that the economy is improving. What a bunch of bullshit. 🙂
Yep! Another thing I failed to mention is full-time workers’ hours are being cut back to part-time to avoid the new mandates. What a crock! If government is mandating healthcare for all citizens, it should come out of the law makers’ pockets!
Sha, for small and medium sized businesses I agree with you completely…for major corporations making billions in profits, I don’t see any reason why they can’t settle for two billion in profit rather than 2.5 billion. 🙂
Wise words again, Bill.
Inflation ceases to have any boundaries and life is unpredictable thus, gotta spend accordingly and save for a rainy day! Since, we are the leader of our own life with no followers 🙂
Ruchira, I couldn’t agree more…we have control of our own lives and that is an important message for all. Thank you!
Ugh. I am so sick of hearing about job increases. Give me a break. The cost of living keeps going up while wages keep going down. B went in for a job interview last week: $7.79/hr! I mean, are you serious? We’re living in a cheap apartment. We don’t have a car payment or credit card debt. There is no way we could live off that BS. Then they expect you to be a prompt, reliable, quality worker because you should be thankful you even have a job. I remember in that movie Fahrenheit 911, the woman who worked for the employment agency said that being underemployed was just as bad as being unemployed. Amen. But every time they talk about increasing minimum wage, everyone cries over how costs are going to increase and small businesses will suffer and if you can’t get a better job, well, you’re a worthless human being anyway. What a bunch of crap. DO YOU THINK THIS SUBJECT HITS A NERVE with your otherwise oh-so-pleasant Lizzy? LOL Thanks for being your awesome self, Billy.
Lizzy, I kind of expected this type of reply from you. LOL I was patiently waiting for your temperature to increase and the words to form and erupt. 🙂
It is a bunch of bs and we are fed it through the government agencies and the news media….GREAT NEWS, 220,000 NEW JOBS! I’d love to see President Obama live on nine bucks an hour….oh, but then they say you need to retrain for better paying jobs…no problem, I’ll just pull the tuition fee out of my ass.
Yep, this subject pisses me off. LOL
Oh, yeah: go to school so that you can get a better job. Just take out a loan! Then, when you’re done with school, you still won’t be able to find a job and you’ll have an outrageous student loan debt on top of it all. {insert several expletives here}!
I saw something about McDonalds and the ridiculously low wages they pay. A guy commented and said that he wouldn’t pay “worthless” burger-flipping people more than minimum wage. How do you determine that a person is worthless? You don’t buy and sell them . . . they’re helping to make you money . . . they’re working . . . ? These are the same people who are against abortion. Who is more “worthless” on paper than an infant? Children provide a lousy ROI. They have such compassion on the unborn, then when those children grow up they hate them for not being as affluent as they are. OK I’M STOPPING NOW.
I wish I lived in a state that has air in August because I need some right now.
I have rosy glasses usually, too, but what’s happening in this country has made them black. Dang it. I’m especially fired up because of what’s going on in my state: there are wealthy people buying out the politicians so they won’t raise the minimum wage, they’re slashing state jobs to make room for privatization on all fronts, and they’re attacking women like they’re objects. The fact that this can happen here means it can happen anywhere in this country because those pundits behind the scenes are pushing even moderates to vote against their conscience. I have no idea how in the world we will restore balance – and yes, we need balance: it can’t all be liberals, either…or independents…or whatever – but my god, I hope it’s before this country crashes and burns. o.O
It feels like the sky is falling.
Okay…sorry to rant. I’m okay now. I think I might go work on some school stuff. lol
Cyndi, I don’t know how many articles I have written about this mess. Our economy will crash; it is just a matter of when. You can’t cut the legs off of the lower 90% and expect the economy to function. As for our rights, they are being stripped daily on a state and national level and very few people are even noticing, and if they do notice they don’t seem to care. Yep, keep those black glasses on. 🙂
What I’ll never understand is how so many people can be so ignorant and if they’re not, they’re complacent.
I wasn’t that into politics growing up: my parents weren’t much into it, other than watching a bit of the news.
But right after I moved out, 9/11 happened, and that sent me on a trajectory to always be interested in what’s going on.
Then I did a lot of research as to what the US has done around the world and the blood on our government’s hands: my god!
If these facts aren’t spoon-fed to so many people, they’ll never find out for themselves.
I feel like if people don’t wake up, they get what they deserve. <– Okay, I don't REALLY feel that way, especially for those who are illiterate, but I definitely have moments where the sheer stupidity of what's going on, and the masses letting it happen, well, we're going to slide downhill fast.
You're right: it's a matter of time. Good thing I know how to make my own bread and I could even find some chickens when I need to, haha.
Interestingly, I spoke with a gentleman about a month ago. He was in the Air Force and was in C-Springs when I was there. He said he moved to NC because there's so much water here and in these times, you gotta go where the water is.
Frankly, that's one reason we haven't sold our house: we have springs all over the place. That's not to say that we won't move: I'm 25 miles away from my job and 35 miles away from my poor elderly mom-in-law and all this driving everywhere sucks. We'll see how that plays out. If we do move, it'll just be closer to my MIL to help her out more. We were over there all day Wednesday and this Sunday we'll need to be over there and I'll be commuting to Boone (two hours from here) for classes for the next year. Agh! LOL
Cyndi, that commute would suck the life out of me. LOL
Spoon fed….yep! Society has reached a point where if the ugliness doesn’t touch someone they just don’t seem to care, but if they lose their job or get screwed by the government, then listen to the whining and shouts of injustice. We are a reactive and fearful society now, just sitting around hoping the shit doesn’t splash on us. Madness I say!
Lizzy, I keep telling you, move to Washington…at least our air is breathable and our minimum wage is $9.19 an hour….besides, I want you here so I can sit and rant with you. 🙂
Getting more tempting by the moment. 😀
You’re right….times are indeed tough. Here in SA as well. My brother just moved out of the house with my parents and he’s 28 going on 29. It’s a tough world out there. I’m lucky because I’ve always lived with Geoff, but not sure I could say the same if I was on my own. Retrenchments are so common here too. I know lots of people who have little side projects going as well. It’s scary.
Mel, it used to be, having two jobs was abnormal; now it is the norm. The economic landscape is bleak and none of us in the lower 80% are safe.
Have a wonderful weekend my friend.
It’s the same story here. More and more companies are taking on part-timers because it’s cheaper than full time employees. My youngest daughter is looking to leave her current job but reckons she’ll need 2 part-time jobs in order to make a full-time salary. I pointed out to her this would be a good opportunity to concentrate more on her writing and try to earn a living that way. And yes, she still lives at home. I don’t mind though. She’s entertaining and good company.
Phoenix, my son is almost 29 and he lives with us….and Bev’s kids are in and out for a month at a time. We are the waystation for wayward kids, but they are entertaining and we love them, so there you go.
Tough times out there my friend; very tough time indeed.
Have a great weekend.