Midwest Voices

Lewis Diuguid

The Kansas City Star

The drop in the unemployment rate will help to buoy President Barack Obama’s re-election hopes.

The Labor Department on Friday reported that the jobless rate fell from 8.1 percent in August. About 114,000 workers were added to the economy.

The numbers will be discussed a lot ahead of the Nov. 6 presidential election because they provide the latest data on how well the economy is doing. Obama will use them to say the country is headed in the right direction.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will point to the unemployment data, saying it’s still too high, and he has the right plan for a turnaround. (People need to ask, “But which way?)

This November’s balloting certainly will test the trend that no sitting president has ever won re-election with the jobless rate above 7.2 percent.

After Obama’s lackluster performance in the first televised presidential debate this week, the drop in the unemployment numbers must seem like a winning lottery ticket for Obama’s campaign.

Comments

1. 

   Mark Hastert

   7 months, 2 weeks ago

   Couldn’t have been more timely. HAP-EE DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!…

2. 

   Mark Robertson

   7 months, 2 weeks ago

   From 1948 to 2008, the unemployment rate in the U.S was above 8 percent for 39 months. Since President Obama took office alone, the unemployment rate has been above 8 percent for 43 months. Many of the new jobs are part-time. The U-6 unemployment rate counts those who have given up looking for work, those who want a job, but haven’t found one, and those who have part-time work, but want full time. That number is 14.6 percent. Counting just those who have given up looking for work, the unemployment rate is above 11 percent. Obama has been a such a disaster for the economy. Some say by design. Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence

3. 

   Mark Robertson

   7 months, 2 weeks ago

   If the labor force participation rate were what it was at the beginning of this year when the unemployment rate was 8.3 percent, the unemployment rate would be 8.4 percent. And Obama and company have told the defense contractor, Lockheed, to not lay any workers until after the election. The upcoming layoffs are the result of the automatic defense budget cuts that are coming. Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence

4. 

   Mark Robertson

   7 months, 2 weeks ago

   It was claimed today that the unemployment dropped from 8.2% to 7.8%. Looking at economic history, a .4 percent drop in unemployment would require a growth rate of 4 to 5 percent. Last month’s growth rate was 1.3 percent. (Today’s ‘Good’ Jobs Report was Actually Terrible, by Jim Pethakoukis, Business Insider, 10-5-12) The claimed drop is such a sham. Election must be near, and a corrupt “leader” must be in the White House. Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence

5. 

   George Hunsucker

   Northland

   7 months, 2 weeks ago

   I wonder if the BLS will adjust the numbers November 2 or wait until the December report?

   Anyone who thinks we are experiencely our greatest job growth in 30 years is smoking some really good 0 weed!!!

6. 

   George Hunsucker

   Northland

   7 months, 1 week ago

   Maybe lewis will want to comment on this:

   http://v103.cbslocal.com/2012/10/05/snoop-dogg-mitt-romney-is-a-morman-with-no-hoes-and-other-musings/

   Surely snoop is being misquoted here or something, right???

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