06-09-2008, 03:38 AM
Oh boo-hoo. Let's see:
The unemployment rate is LOWER than it was from 1980-1996. I seem to recall people thinking we had it pretty good back then, from 1984 onwards.
YEAR.............LABOR FORCE.......EMPLOYED......UNEMPLOYED......UNEMP RATE
2008 YTD Average 152,918,500 145,046,500 7,872,000 5.1%
2007 153,167,750 146,093,917 7,073,833 4.6%
2006 151,427,583 144,427,000 7,000,583 4.6%
2005 149,297,833 141,707,250 7,590,583 5.1%
2004 147,401,000 139,252,000 8,149,000 5.5%
2003 146,510,000 137,736,000 8,774,000 6.0%
2002 144,863,000 136,485,000 8,378,000 5.8%
2001 143,734,000 136,933,000 6,801,000 4.7%
2000 142,583,000 136,891,000 5,692,000 4.0%
1999 139,368,000 133,488,000 5,880,000 4.2%
1998 137,673,000 131,463,000 6,210,000 4.5%
1997 136,297,000 129,558,000 6,739,000 4.9%
1996 133,943,000 126,708,000 7,236,000 5.4%
1995 132,304,000 124,900,000 7,404,000 5.6%
1994 131,056,000 123,060,000 7,996,000 6.1%
1993 129,200,000 120,259,000 8,940,000 6.9%
1992 128,105,000 118,492,000 9,613,000 7.5%
1991 126,346,000 117,718,000 8,628,000 6.8%
1990 125,840,000 118,793,000 7,047,000 5.6%
1989 123,869,000 117,342,000 6,528,000 5.3%
1988 121,669,000 114,968,000 6,701,000 5.5%
1987 119,865,000 112,440,000 7,425,000 6.2%
1986 117,834,000 109,597,000 8,237,000 7.0%
1985 115,462,000 107,150,000 8,312,000 7.2%
1984 113,544,000 105,005,000 8,539,000 7.5%
1983 111,551,000 100,834,000 10,717,000 9.6%
1982 110,204,000 99,526,000 10,678,000 9.7%
1981 108,670,000 100,397,000 8,273,000 7.6%
1980 106,940,000 99,303,000 7,637,000 7.1%
http://www.nidataplus.com/lfeus1.htm
Mortgage rates are the lowest they've been for the past few decades:
The gross domestic product STILL has a positive (albeit small) growth rate:
"The Commerce Department said on Thursday that gross domestic product grew at a 0.9 percent annual rate in the first quarter. While sluggish, that marked an upward revision from the anemic 0.6 percent rate estimated a month ago and an acceleration from the fourth quarter's 0.6 percent gain."
http://www.reuters.com/article/gc03/idUS...3520080529
So - what are people griping about? Gasoline costs too much. Guess what - Europeans have been paying more than us for quite some time:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_us..._in_Europe
People WERE complaining about being "priced out of the housing market" - well, guess what - you got your wish. House prices are down substantially from where they were.
Like I said before http://forums.macresource.com/read/2/446...msg-446021 - what a bunch of whiners this nation has become...
The unemployment rate is LOWER than it was from 1980-1996. I seem to recall people thinking we had it pretty good back then, from 1984 onwards.
YEAR.............LABOR FORCE.......EMPLOYED......UNEMPLOYED......UNEMP RATE
2008 YTD Average 152,918,500 145,046,500 7,872,000 5.1%
2007 153,167,750 146,093,917 7,073,833 4.6%
2006 151,427,583 144,427,000 7,000,583 4.6%
2005 149,297,833 141,707,250 7,590,583 5.1%
2004 147,401,000 139,252,000 8,149,000 5.5%
2003 146,510,000 137,736,000 8,774,000 6.0%
2002 144,863,000 136,485,000 8,378,000 5.8%
2001 143,734,000 136,933,000 6,801,000 4.7%
2000 142,583,000 136,891,000 5,692,000 4.0%
1999 139,368,000 133,488,000 5,880,000 4.2%
1998 137,673,000 131,463,000 6,210,000 4.5%
1997 136,297,000 129,558,000 6,739,000 4.9%
1996 133,943,000 126,708,000 7,236,000 5.4%
1995 132,304,000 124,900,000 7,404,000 5.6%
1994 131,056,000 123,060,000 7,996,000 6.1%
1993 129,200,000 120,259,000 8,940,000 6.9%
1992 128,105,000 118,492,000 9,613,000 7.5%
1991 126,346,000 117,718,000 8,628,000 6.8%
1990 125,840,000 118,793,000 7,047,000 5.6%
1989 123,869,000 117,342,000 6,528,000 5.3%
1988 121,669,000 114,968,000 6,701,000 5.5%
1987 119,865,000 112,440,000 7,425,000 6.2%
1986 117,834,000 109,597,000 8,237,000 7.0%
1985 115,462,000 107,150,000 8,312,000 7.2%
1984 113,544,000 105,005,000 8,539,000 7.5%
1983 111,551,000 100,834,000 10,717,000 9.6%
1982 110,204,000 99,526,000 10,678,000 9.7%
1981 108,670,000 100,397,000 8,273,000 7.6%
1980 106,940,000 99,303,000 7,637,000 7.1%
http://www.nidataplus.com/lfeus1.htm
Mortgage rates are the lowest they've been for the past few decades:
The gross domestic product STILL has a positive (albeit small) growth rate:
"The Commerce Department said on Thursday that gross domestic product grew at a 0.9 percent annual rate in the first quarter. While sluggish, that marked an upward revision from the anemic 0.6 percent rate estimated a month ago and an acceleration from the fourth quarter's 0.6 percent gain."
http://www.reuters.com/article/gc03/idUS...3520080529
So - what are people griping about? Gasoline costs too much. Guess what - Europeans have been paying more than us for quite some time:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_us..._in_Europe
People WERE complaining about being "priced out of the housing market" - well, guess what - you got your wish. House prices are down substantially from where they were.
Like I said before http://forums.macresource.com/read/2/446...msg-446021 - what a bunch of whiners this nation has become...