Job Creation Lags Behind American Population Growth

On Friday, supporters of the Bush Administration hailed the 207,000 new jobs "created" for July as "good news". Yet when figured against the population growth of the United States, this figure is simply pathetic.

When Bush entered office on January 2001, the U.S. population was 278.0 million. In 2005 the U.S. population now stands at 297.7 million. In 2001, 137.7 million persons had employment in 2001. In 2005, 142.0 million persons have employment. The problem is that only 4.3 million more jobs have been created for a population growth of 17.7 million persons, and if a constant employment versus population figure of 49.3% holds, rather than just 4.3 million new jobs created, a figure much closer to 8.0 million jobs should have been created by now. For only a mere 4.3 million jobs to be created versus a population growth figure of 17.7 million persons means quite simply that job growth is not keeping up with population growth. And as time moves on 10, 20, or 30 years, millions will be without jobs as a severe U.S. work shortage is beginning to take hold.

In the 1970's Congress watered down and passed a merely symbolic version of the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act when Hubert Humphrey was ill with cancer. Now America is paying a high price as 900,000 textile jobs have disappeared since the introduction of NAFTA. Most U.S. steel mills are now closed thanks to foreign steel dumping practices. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. automobile manufacturing jobs which are mostly high paying union jobs have been lost. And store shelves are stacked full of Chinese import products manufactured at 24 to 40 cents average labor costs that have driven the trade deficit with America up to $162 billion a year with China. And before NAFTA, America had a $5 billion dollar trade surplus with Mexico, which has turned into a $50 billion dollar a year trade deficit since NAFTA. And as the economy has worsened in Mexico because of NAFTA, where the number of employed in Mexico has actually decreased every month since 1991, and 2/3 of Mexican farmers have lower standards of living since NAFTA, has created a wave of economic refugees from Mexico. Since NAFTA, 15 million Mexicans have tried legally or illegally to enter the U.S., with 5 million finding residence in the U.S. NAFTA has ruined the lives of many in Mexico, so these familiies seek a better life in America.

And inflation has taken a huge toll on American families. In 1950, a Nash Rambler sold for $1880. In 1960, a Rambler American sold for $1880. In 1970, an AMC Gremlin sold for $1879. But today a small economy car has risen in price to $14000 to $18000. A home that sold for $20000 in 1968, now is valued at $400000 to $500000, with $40000 or $50000 a month house payments vesus ones of maybe $300 or less in 1968. Hyperinflation has destroyed the buying power of the dollar as wages lag far behind the inflation rates month by month, year by year.

And with mostly high paying union jobs down to just 8% of all jobs. And Elaine Chao, the U.S. Labor Secretary, and wife of Senator Mitch McConnell, wanted to reclassify workers who "assemble" a hamburger at McDonald's as manufacturing labor to soften the statistical loss of high paying factory jobs in America.

The Bush Administration may seek to invent "good news" by manipulation of manufacturing jobs statistics by appointing a very partisan wife of a U.S. Senator as Labor Secretary or other nonsense. But too many trends are clear. A flood of cheap imports is taking more high paying jobs each month. More low paying "McJobs" are being taken by older workers for less pay displacing so many young people, that teenage unemployment is the worst since WWII at a startling 62%. And more and more low paying jobs at mega-stores such as Wal-Mart where many workers are paid only the minimum wage with no health care or retirement benefits, who often count on public welfare services such as food stamps, public health projects or a small social security check upon retirement.

And with the 4.3 million jobs supposedly created since Bush entered office, the U.S. national debt has grown by $2 trillion dollars, or $500000 per job created since January 2001. There are so many serious problems for the American economy, and workers, and a figure of jobs lagging behind the population growth is yet another "canary in the coalmine" warning of economic disaster for America unless some serious attempts to turn around the flood of cheap imports displacing American workers ans attempts to keep inflation low and housing affordable. This is a moral cause to provide the best for the the lives of children and families in America.