Sunday, July 18, 2004

Jobs gone in Ohio

Stole this from Kevin Hayden at The American Street:

Ohio isn't working



One fifth of the nation's job losses under Bush have occurred in Ohio. And even a Fed economist is admitting Ohio's economy is going nowhere fast.



The unemployment rate rose to 5.8 percent in June from 5.6 percent in May, reflecting both seasonal entrants into a slack market and a loss of 14,300 jobs, spread across most sectors except government.

A modest spring rise in manufacturing payrolls was wiped out in June with the loss of 3,400 jobs. By month's end, the number of manufacturing jobs statewide stood at 824,700, down 159,700 since the start of the last recession in March 2001.

Economist Mark Schweitzer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland set aside the June numbers since a monthly reading can be misleading to look at the employment picture over the past year. Even so, the picture was lackluster.



"It's been really flat for almost the last 12 months," Schweitzer said. "There's nothing clearly wrong, but there's nothing clearly going right, either."



Remember, Ohio's a bellwether state. The GOP hasn't won the White House without it. And they can't even buy a vote there.



I thought Ohio was solidly red, but I guess when they feel it in their pockets, they get bluer. Do you think the state will undergo an economic boom between now and November? I didn't either. If Ohio is the bellwether Kevin says, it's see ya, Dubya.

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