Things Still Tough for Workers
Saturday, July 09, 2005
(SNN Trenton) Despite good labor numbers in June, many American workers still feel underemployed, as they are forced to take jobs below their old salary level.
Many American workers still feel underemployed
The unemployment rate dropped to 5 percent in June, down from 5.1 percent in May. This marks the lowest unemployment has been since September, 2001. The jobless rate hit 6.3 percent at its peak. "A lean, mean jobs machine this economy is not," said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. "But jobs are being created and the unemployment rate is falling so you really cannot complain too much."
Ken Dwiter was appointed CIO of Hemplosor, the world’s largest online head shop.
But many believe they are underemployed. In 1998, Ken Dwiter was appointed CIO of Hemplosor, the world’s largest online head shop. Now Ken takes customer service calls for a cell phone company. Ken, once a mild mannered hippie, has found his calm harshed by phone customer service. “People are just so stupid,” Ken says. “They call me up with all these dumb problems all day. I wish they’d just die. I’m like, ‘Dude, when I was on top, I could have bought and sold your ass.’ Like I give a shit about your roaming charges. Get a better package, moron”
It was announced yesterday that Harrison Ford, Moby and Jason Alexander would be working for UPS, delivering packages sent by Amazon.com. When some of the once highest paid celebrities in the world are now delivering packages, it is a sign that the economy is still struggling.
I have another measure, which I call the "Truckers on the Interstate" measure. If trucks are wall-to-wall on I-5 between Los Angeles and Sacramento, or on I-10 between El Paso and the I-20 split, the economy is doing well. If it's a ghost town out there, make sure your bunker in Wyoming is well-supplied! Err, assuming you have a bunker. Which I do, of course, but at present it is ratherly poorly supplied (sigh!) because I rarely get out there and tinned herring will keep only a few years before it goes rancid (bleh!).
- Badtux the Survivalist Penguin
