The Anger Blog, Just the Facts about Jobs

Just the Facts about Jobs. The outcome of this presidential election has primarily been defined by which candidate can create more jobs in order to bring about economic recovery. Republicans are insisting that President Obama's economic policies are not working, since the unemployment rate is still around 8.2%. This unemployment percentage is very damaging to communities, states, and the current administration; and similar statistics have kept previous incumbent presidents from being re-elected. However, if we look closely at this unemployment rate and the factors behind it, we may be able to differentiate it from those of previous administrations.

Have this president's economic policies really failed? What policies, other than a watered-down stimulus package, have been acted upon under Obama's first term? The Republicans in Congress have filibustered (more than 300 times, a new record, I might add) or added amendments to jobs bills and similar legislation, in order to keep them from being passed or even brought up for a vote. The American Jobs Act was a perfect example of policy that never saw the light of day because of the GOP's blatant obstructionism.

Another factor that influences the unemployment figure is the number of public sector jobs on record. Republicans are always ranting that the Democrats keep growing the government, while real facts don't seem to back up this claim. Under the Obama administration, there has been a LOSS of 600,000 public sector jobs. In our nation's history, public sector jobs numbers, especially those of local and state governments, almost always showed growth during recessions. This proved true more recently with the Bush administration, wherein approximately 800,000 public sector jobs were added, reflecting a 3.7% increase.

If the Obama administration enjoyed the same cooperation with the U.S. Congress and the Republican-controlled state legislatures that President Bush had experienced, we might have seen approximately 1.4 million more public sector jobs and the unemployment rate would likely be somewhere around 7.3%. I can only imagine how favorable the jobs picture would look today, had the President received Congressional support for the employment legislation he was promoting.

It really frustrates and angers me when the Republicans talking heads repeatedly refer to President Obama's failed economic policies … in light of the fact that millions of voters do not take (or freely have) the time to research this issue more fully. If they did, they would learn the facts and perhaps see the jobs "problem" more clearly. As much as it concerns us and impacts families and communities, however, if Romney is elected in November, the unemployment rate will probably be the least of our worries.