Greetings,
On Wed, 17 Sep 1997, Doug Henwood wrote:
> Shawgi A. Tell wrote:
>
> > It's relevant to keep in mind that "official" data is inaccurate.
> >"Official" data often portrays a rosier picture than what is actually the
> >case, as if roughly 5% unemployment were acceptable. The fact of
> >the matter is that millions of Americans remain unemployed and
> >underemployed. Further, purchasing power has generally decreased for the
> >last 20 years.
>
> Yes all this is true - but the unemployment series is consistent over time
> (with minor discontinuities, of course), meaning that contrary to your
> original assertion there is no longterm uptrend in unemployment in the
> world's leading capitalist power. Just was wondering how this fact fit into
> your crisis model.
In Europe the levels of unemployment remain extremely high. In
the U.S., Canada, and Europe the levels of youth unemployment are
considerably higher than the already extremely high levels of unemployment
for the general population. In countries like Spain, Italy and France,
for example, youth unemployment is in the upper double digits. In the
U.S., unemployment for youth in the inner cities can reach 50%. Rosy 1992
Census data puts the unemployment rate for 16 to 19 year old Hispanic
males at nearly 30%. The unemployment rate for Black 20 to 24 year old
females was well over 20%. The unemployment rate that year for white
males aged 20 to 24 was roughly 10%.
It is estimated that the supply of low-skilled workers, compared
to the number of jobs available, is so large that it would take 10 to 15
continuous years of economic expansion to provide enough jobs. Capitalism
has never had such a long period of sustained economic growth - recession
is its middle name.
In a Harlem study of fast-food job seekers - a common first job
for young people - there were 14 applicants for every individual hired.
Among the applicants not hired, 3/4 had not found work a year later.
In the ghettos of the 100 largest cities, there were 10 adults without a
job for every 6 people who had one.
Add to this reality the tens and thousands of immigrants that are
being cut off welfare and it becomes clear that it is bourgeois society
that cannot satisfy the basic needs of humans.
U.S. corporations cut over 230,000 jobs in the first five months
of 1996 - the fastest in a decade and 34% more jobs than the same period
in 1995. This level of cuts is 6.5% higher than 1993, the highest year of
job elimination this decade. A total of 615,186 jobs were eliminated that
year.
Job insecurity is a major problem, affecting the vast majority of
people. The fear of going from having a job and being able to provide for
your family, to literally being homeless and without hope of finding work,
is a reality for many and a constant anxiety for all but the wealthiest
handful.
[Snip...]
> Doug
Shawgi Tell
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
