August jobs report disappoints

CBS/iStockphoto

(MoneyWatch) The U.S. economy added only 96,000 in jobs in August and the unemployment rate edged lower to 8.1 percent, from 8.3 percent. The report was disappointing for two reasons: Job creation was lower than expected and the unemployment rate dropped only because eligible workers left the labor force.

Coming on the heels of the two major parties' conventions, the political stakes are high when it comes to jobs. Poll after poll show that voters are most concerned with the economy and the jobs markets and there are only two more monthly Labor Department reports due before the general election.

No president since the Great Depression has won re-election when the jobless rate was higher than 7.4 percent, the level at which Ronald Reagan won a landslide reelection in 1984. Given the current pace of job creation this year (139,000 jobs per month), the unemployment rate will likely remain above 8 percent by Election Day and probably by the end of the year as well.

During the past two weeks, the parties have released dueling narratives of the jobs situation: Republicans claim that progress is too slow and Democrats say that while the improvement may not be ideal, the damage was too vast to be repaired in a normal time frame. Who's right?

There is no doubt that the country has seen gains in the jobs crisis: The economy has added 3.8 million jobs since employment bottomed in February 2010. (4.3 million private jobs created were offset by just over a half a million government jobs lost). But the hole is deep: There are still 4.8 million fewer total non-farm jobs since before the recession started.

It's the same story with the unemployment rate: It's down from over 10 percent only a couple years ago, but has remained above 8 percent for over three years, the longest stretch since monthly records began in 1948. Just before the beginning of the recession, the rate was 5 percent and at the current rate of job creation, it will take approximately 3 to 4 years to return to that level.

The problem continues to be the tepid pace of economic growth (1.85 percent in the first half of the year and 1.7 percent in 2011), which has been too slow to prompt companies to hire. Economists say that the economy needs to grow by closer to 2.5 to 3 percent to put more people back to work.

Beyond the raw numbers on job creation and unemployment rate, another insidious problem is infecting the U.S. labor market: Middle class wages are shrinking. The Pew Research Center recently released a report called "The Lost Decade of the Middle Class." Pew's definition of middle class is households with annual earnings ranging from $39,000 to $118,000 in 2011 dollars. In 2011, this middle-income tier included 51 percent of all adults, a drop from 61 percent in 1971.

Jobs report: Economy added 96K jobs in August
Middle-class income shrinks
New jobs offer lower wages

The news for the group is sobering: For the first time since 1945, incomes have gone backward (from $72,956 to $69,487, a 5 percent drop) and total wealth (assets minus debt) dropped by 28 percent, to $93,150 from $129,582. During this period, the median wealth of the upper-income tier was essentially unchanged -- it rose by 1 percent, to $574,788 from $569,905.

As CBS MoneyWatch's Alain Sherter recently noted, the last decade is a continuation of a longer term trend. "Income for the average middle-class family has stagnated for decades, with the financial crisis precipitating a sharp decline." It's tough to pin on a multi-decade trend on one party, though. The culprit is more likely a combination of two larger issues: Globalization and technology. Of course that might make for a pretty boring campaign speech or TV ad.

August jobs:

-- Jobs created: 96,000 (July: +141,000 from +163K, June: +45K from +64K. Total revisions: -41K)

-- Average monthly job creation 2012: 139,000

-- Private jobs created: +103K

-- Government jobs created/lost: -7K

-- Unemployment rate: 8.1% (from 8.3%)

-- Broad unemployment rate: 14.7% (official rate + "marginally attached workers," those who are neither working nor looking for work, but say they want a job and have looked for work recently; and people who are employed part-time for economic reasons, meaning they want full-time work but took a part-time schedule instead because that's all they could find.)

-- Total unemployed: 12.5 million (from 12.8 million)

-- Long-term unemployed: 5 million, representing 40 percent of the total unemployed

-- Participation rate: 63.5% (worst level in 30 years - participation rate was 66% for many years ahead of the recession)

-- Average work week: 34.4 (unchanged)

-- Hourly earnings: $23.52 (up 1.7% over year)

[bachagaloupe]

And how interesting that there's no mention of the impact of immigration on the dismal US economy.Journalists and voters need to ask Obama and Romney and all federal candidates over the next 7 weeks or so:Why does the US government continue to admit over 1 million legal immigrants into this country every year with the employment problem only worsening?

[mikefarrey]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=451784764866038&set=a.369472636430585.86836.354500171261165&type=1&theater

[mikefarrey]

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=377269832346599&set=a.149719671768284.37136.139624856111099&type=1&theater

[pcfpgarty]

Jobs are fewer than needed and the jobs that exist pay less than needed. The economy is weak but no-one is taking into account that the economy has been weakening at a steady rate since the late 50s and has only had a couple of growth spurts in the last 58 years. The trend is down because interest in investing in new products or services declined after WWII and is still declining as you read this comment. Why , because we have lost or given up our pioneering spirit. The drive and energy that built the 50 States of America is embodied in but a few and they are scorned by the people that have control of the wealth in this country . The helicopter as conceived by Sikorsky was considered a wacky idea and even laughed at until during the war it was found that a craft that could take off vertically would be a real plus in fighting the war . That war is over but the war for our survival as a country continues , in other ways ,though less obvious , it is just as real. Someone with more spirit than the two present candidates for the office of President is needed to make people aware of the need to encourage our younger inventive minds that now are frustrated for lack of recognition. It is invention and innovation that will put this country in the future not contentment and comfort for the status quo

[harv823]

Thank the Senate Republicans for this. In July they blocked President Obama's Jobs Initiative Bill that would have helped greatly. Once again the Republicans are hoping everyone is dumb enough to believe their lies.

[hypnotoad72]

Better tepid than none, or what could be worse.

And as many companies want a 4-year degree, people have little choice but to go back for that level of schooling. This isn't 1970 anymore, where having only a high school degree could be sufficient to land a job that pays middle class wages. Since college costs are nowhere near what people make currently, assuming they have jobs... coworkers and a couple friends pursuing Masters degrees and knowing how much debt they will rack up, acquiesce and say "it is what it is". And maybe they're right, but I applaud their trying and doing the right things -- for themselves, their communities, and country, and world, etc. Those trying to do the right things really shouldn't be spat on.

Anyone who wants to throw around empty one-liners saying empty, uneducated fluff like "Obozo" are the real bozos and should not be reflected in our country. I'm tired of their stupidity being rewarded.

That's my two cents... I've things to do. Those who spout one-liners clearly don't. They should go work for Romney and make him more profitable.

[jmn122736]

Brave little VooDooChile-, slinging obviously racially bigoted PERSONAL insults ("Obozo") from behind his/her/ little keyboard.
Sort of like Eastwood's cowardly act of taking jabs and throwing insults at an empty chair.

[myopinionpal]

Want to know where the jobs are? why don't you ask Mitch McConnell he said two years before the election that the republicans number one goal was to make sure Obama is a one term president.

This tells me one thing that the GOP wanted a bad economy to use as talking points to win an election they could care less if you got a job as long as they win the white house back and get control of both houses of congress so they can continue screwing the middle class that means both republican and democratic voters.

So if you still want to know where the jobs are ask Mitch McConnell and the rest of the republicans.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Why is the media not questioning republicans about their role in the lack of more job creation due to their subversive, sabotaging obstruction? How is that not a HUGE STORY? The media is derelict in its resposibility to the American public.

[fishguru00]

Where is the budget in the senate...

[novotesobozo]

Talk about out sourcing jobs why is a spanish compeny counting american oveseas votes in november.And where is CBS NBC and ABC on this.

[HuntinFishin]

by bbglow September 7, 2012 6:54 PM EDT
The democratic plan for deficit reduction while preserving economic growth and opportunity only raises taxes on those who can afford it and does not rob those who can't. The Buffett Rule as oposed to the Bain Rule.

=====================================================
Those ideas sound much better in the abstract than in the real world.