I will keep you posted!

Well some interesting things have happened recently from a business standpoint. Huge amount of stimulus money from our benevolent dictator has taken credit for a "recovery" from the recession in the USA. To quote one of my sophisticated speaking graduate school professors "Hog Wash!". In my mind, the only real significant indicator of the recession ending is...............? Can you guess it? Drum roll please! UNEMPLOYMENT! That's right. Unemployment. You know why? Because if you are employed everything is cool and if you are unemployed, it is not. Period. So, the latest numbers indicate 10.2% unemployment nationwide and about 7.9% where I live.

To me it does not matter if the unemployment rate is 10% or 3% because if you are one of the unemployed guess what. You are in trouble probably unless you are independently wealthy or have a relative who just loves giving you money. I know. Most people say that if the unemployment rate is under 5%, most of that is unemployables. Maybe. But guess who it also contains. The largest segment unemployed next to teenagers is old guys. People from 60-65. Nobody that I can find wants to hire in a career position (top management, middle management, etc.) at that age. Obviously, you can send your resume and are even encouraged by employers to do so. But when you send in a resume that shows 40 years of experience, they know you are old. Not just lots of experience, old. You have no future with the company. They want someone who can "grow" with the company, someone who is creative and "up-to-speed" on all the latest and someone who can relate to all employees.

Now if you do not want to work much, you can be a greeter at Wal-Mart I suppose or try to sell insurance (or as it is now known-financial advisor), but if you have to have the income to live, that may not work. Well I digress. My point is that the extended unemployment benefits that are part of the stimulus gift from the American taxpayers has, or should I say, had, limitations. The first extension tied to stimulus was only available to states with an unemployment rate of 6.5% or greater for 3 consecutive months. That left out millions of unemployed. This time, however, the extension applies to everyone for 14 weeks, and if you are in state with unemployment greater than 8.5%, you can get an additional 6 weeks. Thanks Uncle Sam, that is a little better in my view.

So that is my rant for this week. What do you think?

By the way, I am going to continue this blog after all. I am going to start a new one too. This one will be on child raising/family, serving God and others and church. Why do I have the right to comment on such things? Because this is still American and not Obamaland.