If this statement is true, then one can't help but wonder why (in between press engagements related to the Bin Laden killing) the president made several appearances around the nation this week to speak about reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The recent hike in gas prices is certainly not the primary source of our country's economic troubles. Now he is talking about immigration.
In a CNN poll released this week, 80 percent of respondents agreed the economy is in bad shape. The largest problem area according to those surveyed was unemployment. The national deficit, pain at the gas pump, housing costs and taxes rounded out the other important economic issues.
In 2007, prior to the recession, unemployment was nearly half of current levels. The U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its monthly report on Thursday, indicating 244,000 jobs were added last month. Although this number exceeded economists' expectations, the national unemployment rate rose to nine percent, up from the previous month. The number of unemployed persons currently sits at 13.7 million.
It's important to note this number doesn't include over two million people who are in fact out of work, yet not counted in the unemployment figure. These are people who have been out of the labor force and have looked for work in the past year. These individuals weren't counted because they had not searched for work within the past four weeks. Essentially, they have given up.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported this week that one in seven people in the country are currently on food stamps. These staggering numbers were the subject of an interactive map and breakdown comprised by The Wall Street Journal.
Nationwide, the number of people receiving food stamp benefits saw an 11.6 percent increase compared to one year ago. The top five states with the highest percentage of its population currently receiving food stamps are:
Mississippi: 20.6%
Oregon: 20.0%
Tennessee: 19.9%
New Mexico: 19.7%
Michigan: 19.6%
So the question remains...when will the president and congress turn their attention away from the global war on terror and quest for oil to focus on the unemployment obstacle that is choking so many American families?
