Longview Washington Business Directory Blog

The Department of Labor is now reporting a net loss of 62,000 jobs in the month of June nationally. May brought in similar losses in jobs. The unemployment rate is still at 5.5%. Experts forcast  the unemployment rate would be 5.4% There are currently 390,000 unemployment insurance claims that are active, nearing the 400,000 mark that signifies a recession.

The loss of jobs in the monthly report from the Department of Labor is concentrated in the Manufacturing and Construction sectors of business. Those two areas of business have been badly hit by the current economic situation. But those two sectors are not the only areas that are seeing a decline. Job losses by Retailers are at 7,500 and professional services cut 51,000 jobs. Believe it or not even the government cut 29,000 jobs! According to Lakshman Achuthan, the managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute, These numbers are proof of the fact we as Americans are in a recession.

I am starting to rethink this being a Republican! I am wondering if Mr. Bush is leading this country in the wrong direction. I do believe that this Iraq war is crazy. Viet Nam all over again with no perceivable gain. I have to wonder what good all that money would do if it were spent on us as citizens, and this country rather than attempting to be the worlds police. Here is a few excellent links about statistics on the Iraq War. They make great reading.                                                                                        http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030702846.html 

http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071226/bush/

Now where does that leave us here in the Longview Washington area, I don’t Know. I do know since the mills and factories have shut down or cut back it has been significantly harder for people to get a job. And the jobs that are available are not the secure jobs we once had, or the pay is not what it once was. To acquire a job a lot of people commute to Portland or Vancouver to work. With fuel prices the way they are that is not such a lucrative proposition it once was. I think I will put in a green house! Maybe a few chickens! Something to hedge this situation. Maybe start to ride my bike again.