As January 2012 progresses, the fact that 200,000 new jobs were created in December and that the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.5 percent still does not indicate a trend toward the end of this very long and devastating economic recession.
President Barack Obama has hailed this latest information regarding the economy, but has also said that much more needs to be done. He is right. This president came into office promising to turn this economy around and to improve the employment situation, but just the opposite occurred.
The reason the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5 percent is because so many Americans who are unemployed have simply stopped looking for work because there are no available jobs and so many people are unemployed who are searching for work.
Let’s not kid ourselves: 200,000 jobs being created is peanuts. This country has a long way to go before it is anywhere near a sustainable, viable economic recovery and significant unemployment reduction.
The presidential election of this November will be important. Everyone should vote. We need change in the White House. The current resident has had more than enough time to turn this country around, and he has not been at all successful.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
