The breakdown of December’s extremely misleading job report

Four days after Wall Street and the business media went gaga over the better-than-expected 292,000 new jobs created in December, let me tell you the non-adjusted truth: There were just 11,000 new jobs created last month. That's not my estimate or the guess of some on-the-fringe Obama administration critic. That comes directly from the Labor Department Web site. Here's how to find it.

Read more at the New York Post
(Hat tip: KimR) Read More......

Hard Questions About Oregon’s Employment Picture

Last week the Oregonian published an article on the declining labor force participation rate in Oregon. Well it wasn’t actually an article – it was a rewrite of the Oregon Department of Employment’s press release right down to the pretext of the decline that holds Gov. John Kitzhaber and three decades of Democrat administrations blameless. Not a single critical question was asked by the Oregonian. Not a single moment was spent on any independent research. It’s what happens when a decidedly liberal press corps evolves from watchdog to lapdog.

I suppose one can be encouraged that Mr. Kitzhaber and the Oregonian have stooped to even acknowledging the labor participation rate in contrast to the much ballyhooed and specious unemployment rate.

Read more at the Oregon Catalyst Read More......

CPI: A “Training Wage” Can Get Teens Their First Job – And Jumpstart Their Earning Potential

CASCADE POLICY INSTITUTE by Christina Martin

"Have you ever tried to hire an average teenager? A few years ago, when I needed some furniture moved, my mother reached out to some fundraising teenagers on my behalf, offering the wage that I had set. The three boys eagerly accepted the offer, showed up for work and proceeded to demonstrate why it can be so difficult for many teenagers to land and maintain employment. They not only lacked experience..." Read more at CPI

Article relates to: House Bill 3279 (PDF) Read More......

Democrats And The Black Hole Of Education Spending

PANTANO FOR U.S. CONGRESS (NC-7, Republican Congressional Candidate), 6/22/2010 by Ilario Pantano - The Democrats are demanding we spend another $23 billion to shore up public education employment. Take a look at these shocking graphs of public school spending, employment, and results. They have been unable to improve education in 40 years, despite spending four times as much money on public education! See charts and read more at Pantano for U.S. Congress... Read More......