Jobless rate in battleground states

Pink slips:

http://media.mcclatchydc.com/smedia/2008/10/03/20/496-20081003-JOBLESS-cuts.large.prod_affiliate.91.jpg

I would venture to say that those government unemployment numbers are way out of wack with the real/true unemployment within those states. Many more unemployed have just given up looking for jobs, and they're not counted in their stats.

The government is still afraid to use the term "recession" for our country, even though 160,000 lost their jobs last month, more are expected to lose their homes, and many have depleted their savings.

Looks like the initial phases of a depression; we'll skip recession on this one!

It's not just the battleground states.

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=47913&catid=2

State Unemployment Rate Hits 12-Year-High
Posted By: Mark Hedlund Posted By: Deborah Hoffman 1 month ago


SACRAMENTO - New sobering statistics released by the state Friday show California unemployment jumping to 7.7 percent in August.

The last time the jobless rate was that high was in March of 1996, according to the California Employment Development Department.

That rate is an increase of 2.2 percent compared to August 2007. The hardest-hit job sector was construction, with jobs in the building industry dropping by 8.9 percent. Other job categories posting declines were manufacturing, trade-transportation-utilities, information and finance.

Josh Christmon, 27, lost his job with Placer County in January. "So I've been looking ever since," he said. "I must fill out five applications a day and send in five resumes." But he says he's only had nibbles about minimum wage positions.

"I have two kids to put in day care so when I do get work it has to be something to where I can at least pay for my gas and their day care," said Christmon.

A former Marine, Christmon spent 11 months in Iraq and was awarded a Purple Heart for his service. On Friday he attended a job fair for vets that was sponsored by the California Employment Development Department.

He was not alone. Hundreds of vets and non-vets looking for work crowded around employers' booths. "There's a lot of people going through this right now and there is a lot of competition so your morale is low," said Christmon.

And while job seekers like Christmon say they can not afford to be choosy about what jobs they are willing to take, employers can.

Jim Sleeman is the Vice President of Recruiting for Platt Electric Supply. He said he's never seen such large, qualified pools of candidates.

"The bigger the pool, the better it is for us," Sleemon said.

Sacramento County's unemployment is exactly the same as the statewide average, with 54,300 counted as being unemployed. Some nearby counties, however, have the highest jobless rates in the state.

Yuba County's unemployment hit 12.2 percent in August. Also in double digits were Stanislaus County at 10.6 percent and San Joaquin County, 10.2 percent. Sutter, Glenn and Stanislaus Counties all posted unemployment numbers at 10.5 last month.

The state's lowest unemployment was in Marin County, at 4.9 percent.

Santa Clara County's unemployment rate has been higher than the state's averages so far, and now looks similar to the state's.