President Obama: Expect Job Losses Even After Recovery Kicks In
EmailAt his virtual town hall meeting this afternoon, President Obama warned Americans that they should expect job losses to continue even after the economy has started to recover.
"We’re going to have to be patient and persistent about job creation because I don’t think that we’ve lost all the jobs we’re going to lose in this recession. We’re still going to be in a difficult time for much of this year. Employment is typically what’s called a lagging indicator."
The president said he doesn’t want people to think that in one or two months suddenly we’re going to see net job increases. It’s going to take some time for the steps that we’ve taken to filter in."
The president pointed out that the moderator of the town hall, Dr. Jared Bernstein, the chief economic adviser for Vice President Joe Biden, is a Ph.D. economist who would correct him if he were wrong.
Bernstein, of course, agreed with the president.
"After the last recession ended in 2001, the unemployment rate went up for another 19 months before it started coming back down," Bernstein said.
The president’s warning came in response to a video question submitted to the White House website from a woman named Harriet in Georgia.
"Hello, President Obama," she said. "Here is my question for your online town meeting. When can we expect that jobs that have been outsourced to other countries to come back and be made available to the unemployed workers here in the United States? Thank you so much for all your hard work. God bless you. Bye-bye."
The president discussed how a great deal of outsourcing was of "low-wage, low-skill labor."
The challenge is to create "new jobs that can’t be outsourced," he said.
"It’s very hard to hang on to those jobs because there’s always a country out there that pays lower wages than the U.S," the president said. "And so we’ve got to go after the high-skill, high-wage jobs of the future. That’s why it’s so important to train our folks more effectively and that’s why it’s so important for us to find new industries — building solar panels or wind turbines or the new biofuel — that involve these higher-value, higher-skill, higher-paying jobs. So I guess the answer to the question is, not all of these jobs are going to come back. And it probably wouldn’t be good for our economy for a bunch of these jobs to come back because, frankly, there’s no way that people could be getting paid a living wage on some of these jobs — at least in order to be competitive in an international setting."
- jpt
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. So I guess the answer to the question is, not all of these jobs are going to come back. And it probably wouldn’t be good for our economy for a bunch of these jobs to come back because, frankly, there’s no way that people could be getting paid a living wage on some of these jobs — at least in order to be competitive in an international setting.”
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Isn’t it one of his proposals to tax corporations that outsource jobs?
If he agrees some of these jobs just don’t belong here, why tax the corporation for doing what is best for everybody?
Posted by: MayBee | March 26, 2009, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
It is Obama’s fault that caused American to lose their jobs because of the stimulus bill. The stock market went into dive just about everyday because it didn’t work. It up about 8.1% high since February. Don’t blame Bush!
Posted by: anynomous | March 26, 2009, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
I believe he has made no secret about this, he has said over and over again that things will get worse before they get better.
It just seems to me that the Press is out of touch. I do not know if you are playing down to me, or just playing me for a fool. Either way I have my opinion of you too.
Posted by: Thinking | March 26, 2009, 5:41 pm 5:41 pm
Bernstein, as a PhD in economics, surely understands that the first George W. Bush recession had the slowest recovery of any recession in history, as a result of his insane fiscal policies. It will hopefully not be a valid comparison to this one, most recessions have a much faster recovery.
Posted by: Flash Override | March 26, 2009, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
He mastered the expectations game during the campaign; why not continue from the White House?
Posted by: matt | March 26, 2009, 5:59 pm 5:59 pm
High skilled jobs? and what does that mean… that if you don’t have a degree, that you just don’t get to work?
Is this to mean that unless your rich and can afford college that you will not be working for a long long time?
I don’t agree with that…
And even though I don’t agree with much of this spending/stimulus plan…. no way in heck would it be better with Wailin Palin…
So pls., all those Palin lovers out there…. don’t think for one moment that Palin would have made anything better…
She is the most clueless woman to ever be in politics… god help us if she ever gets higher than governor.
Posted by: lm | March 26, 2009, 6:09 pm 6:09 pm
My brother works for a company in Detroit that is a “supplier” for the auto companies. He has been experiencing payless paydays and or paydays where he is only given partial compensation. His hours have been cut to 32 hours and sometimes less per week. This has been going on for sometime, he has lost his home to foreclosure and is in jeopardy of becoming homeless. He can’t afford to quit his job, can’t find another one due to the economy in Michigan. Isn’t eligible for unemployement.
When can someone like him expect some help or relief? When is some of this bail out money going to trickle down to his employer so he can meet payroll, etc???
President Obama please address the problems of people like my brother caught in the middle!
Sincerely,
His concerned Sister in Pennsylvania
Posted by: Mary V Murr | March 26, 2009, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
Is BO saying that PROGRAMMING jobs are “low skill?”
those jobs are going in droves to india…most of them require a lot of education and skill
never believe BO
Posted by: al | March 26, 2009, 6:26 pm 6:26 pm
Ask the 5000 IBM staff who are being outsourced to india if they are low skill (search using IBM and layoffs in the news, see for yourself).
and IBM is trying to get its share of the stimulus $$ via medical records and high speed rail, while continuing to send HIGHLY SKILLED jobs overseas.
BO is never to be believed.
Posted by: al | March 26, 2009, 6:28 pm 6:28 pm
ZZZZZZ
president palin…someone slap me …PLEASE!!!
oh good it was just A REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY ETC ETC BAD DREAM!!!!!!!
Posted by: ted | March 26, 2009, 6:38 pm 6:38 pm
“He mastered the expectations game during the campaign; why not continue from the White House?”
Interesting point.
Posted by: Ryan C the original | March 26, 2009, 6:40 pm 6:40 pm
OMG!! You voted for him.. now your complaining. You got what you deserve.. a liar, a manipulator, a president who doesn’t have a flipping clue what he is doing. This is just the beginning of the END of America as we have known it for centuries.
You should have had your wits about you when you drove yourself to the voting booth, instead of being drunk on Obama. Now you (we all are) starting to suffer the consequences for your decision.
It is truly a sad state of affairs for the grand U.S.A.
Posted by: mjl | March 26, 2009, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
I don’t trust that Obama knows what he’s doing. His economic team is made up of the people who caused this problem and their answer is just to transfer more of our country’s wealth to corporations. We’re being plundered.
And nobody will criticize Obama directly because it isn’t politically correct.
Posted by: Joan | March 26, 2009, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
Never have I witnessed such a master of BS. The line ” we don’t have enough electricians to lay the lines” demonstrates such a weak understanding of anything practical that it is mind blowing. He is over exposed, always campaigning, and is making this great country a laughing stock around the globe. The Europeans will quickly forget Gitmo after this “community organizer” who is so cool he is dumb, wrecks havoc on the world economy.
Posted by: ralph | March 26, 2009, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
NO.. the jobs will not come back. He is a liar. He will say anything to be in the good graces of the adoring public.
GAG!!
He has a narcissistic personality, the meaning of this word is simply that he has “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy”.
He is ridiculously in love with himself,
and could care less about the American people.
Posted by: mjl | March 26, 2009, 7:30 pm 7:30 pm
Re: “Expect Job Losses Even After Recovery Kicks In”
Then why would it be called a recovery? Sigh..
Posted by: Joan | March 26, 2009, 7:39 pm 7:39 pm
“Re: “Expect Job Losses Even After Recovery Kicks In”
Then why would it be called a recovery? Sigh..”
Because economic recovery (iow our economy expanding rather that contracting) could still have high unemployment for a time.
Unemployment tends to lag other economic indicators.
Posted by: Ryan C the original | March 26, 2009, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
Is BO saying that PROGRAMMING jobs are “low skill?”
****************************************
No he wasn’t. He wasn’t talking to programers, programers know that their jobs are easy to be outsourced. It can be done any where in the world and the results sent over the Internet.
What he is talking about are jobs that can’t be done over seas, installation, repair, high quality service type jobs. These jobs will require knowledge in Electronics, Construction, Mathematics, Mechanics.
Posted by: Thinking | March 26, 2009, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
What’s to prevent foreign countries from making solar panels and wind turbines and cheaper?
Posted by: Sigmond | March 26, 2009, 8:31 pm 8:31 pm
What he is talking about are jobs that can’t be done over seas, installation, repair, high quality service type jobs. These jobs will require knowledge in Electronics, Construction, Mathematics, Mechanics.
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That’s why it would be wise to encourage more occupational training in high school, rather than the current push for college for all.
Posted by: MayBee | March 26, 2009, 9:36 pm 9:36 pm
Mary V Murr. the president recognized this problem and is releasing money(for loans) to auto parts companies, for auto loans and student loans…outside of the banking institutions…I think its coming from the tarp funds…tell your brother to hang in there—help is on the way…
Posted by: cowgirl | March 26, 2009, 9:42 pm 9:42 pm
Maybe, out west our community colleges are offering classes in wind turbine maintanence..sponsered by and partly paid for by the wind farms and the electric Co..high paying jobs..There are many opportunitys to come…our community colleges are turning away people in droves..they are full up and casn take no more students…
Posted by: cowgirl | March 26, 2009, 9:46 pm 9:46 pm
Sigmond…shipping those 300 ft wind turbine bases are expensive..we are currently getting them from sweden…we can make them here at high wage jobs and get them up faster by constructing them here…it is costing 1 million a piece now.
Posted by: cowgirl | March 26, 2009, 9:49 pm 9:49 pm
The community college classes sound great, cowgirl.
Community colleges are great for things like that.
Posted by: MayBee | March 26, 2009, 10:09 pm 10:09 pm
Why does Obama not mention nuclear power construction?
Posted by: Sigmond | March 26, 2009, 10:24 pm 10:24 pm
Sigmond- …or domestic drilling?
I realize oil isn’t the energy of the future. But a quick glance around shows me we have plenty of cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, and helicopters that will relying on oil for the foreseeable future.
We know how to get oil out of the ground. Those would be shovel-ready projects, too.
Posted by: MayBee | March 26, 2009, 11:11 pm 11:11 pm
Obama is essentially presaging that
when his plans bear NO fruit….stay
with him….and Nancy, and Tim, and
Harry, and Barney. He’s making sure
that you will not have a choice anyway.
His new governmental-run newspapers
and Fairness Doctrinism will assure
it.
Posted by: Trajan | March 26, 2009, 11:26 pm 11:26 pm
right now there is a glut of oil on the market due to the world wide recession…Companies do not want to drill oil for pennies..they cashed in big time over the last 8 years..they are willing to lay back and try to manipulate the markets upward on good old wall street….Nucleor is great but not until we solve what to do with the toxic waste…
Posted by: cowgirl | March 26, 2009, 11:31 pm 11:31 pm
trajan..not of what you are saying hs anything to do with reality or facts..its just typical mumbo jumbo from the right…add something to the converstion
Posted by: cowgirl | March 26, 2009, 11:34 pm 11:34 pm
“Hey, America! My economic plan is
is gonna fail. Whatcha gonna DO about
it!???” (This era of history is MINE,
so diggit,dog)
Posted by: Trajan | March 26, 2009, 11:38 pm 11:38 pm
“Cowgirl”
When the economy tanks you and your
fellow bots will be rioting because
the gov’t cheese lines will be too
long …..and even THEN, it will have
been Bush’s fault.
Posted by: Trajan | March 26, 2009, 11:53 pm 11:53 pm
“we have plenty of cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, and helicopters that will relying on oil for the foreseeable future.
How many products are made from oil.
Posted by: Sigmond | March 26, 2009, 11:57 pm 11:57 pm
“those 300 ft wind turbines..”
They’re big and scary. Small children could have nightmares upon seeing hordes of giant wind turbines for the first time in their neighborhood. But the biggest obstacle is that nobody wants them in their back yard because they are ugly.. A possible solution to make them more evironmentally pleasing would be to construct them so they look like giant flamingos. Everybody like flamingos. I know I do. Paint them pink.
Posted by: Sigmond | March 27, 2009, 12:16 am 12:16 am
I try never to agree with President Obama – but I have to agree that getting our educational and training function working again is the key to job creation and maintaining the U.S. in the world economy.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | March 27, 2009, 7:51 am 7:51 am
The title says it all. This is nothing more than a big CYA!
Posted by: Mike_C | March 27, 2009, 10:26 am 10:26 am
“we’re going to keep losing jobs for a while”
Oh! really…then how funny that is since he sold his stimulus plan on keeping unemployment below 8%. I guess it didn’t work.
Posted by: frieda | March 27, 2009, 11:10 am 11:10 am
Say What?
If there are still job losses
“after the recession” then we are
Still in a Recession! Duh!
I guess the president will get up
one day and telephone all of his
media plants(Stephanopoulus etc) and
buddies(Chris Matthews, Mr Tingle) and
declare the recession over!
Right before the 2010 elections sounds
about right.
Of course with no proof to back up his
claim his media “toadies” will
proclaim everything is rosy in
Obamaland while millions of Americans
continue to lose their jobs!
The bottom line is that Obama knows
his Stimulus Plan won’t work and will
try to take credit for a recovery that
won’t exist! Wake up America, this guy
is a phony!
Posted by: reaganfan | March 27, 2009, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
…it’s like having Diane Rehm as president.
Posted by: hunchbackedmind | March 27, 2009, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
“That’s why it would be wise to encourage more occupational training in high school, rather than the current push for college for all.”
I disagree slightly, and probably over the word encourage.
I think the push and focus should be for college but more technical opportunities made available.
Posted by: Ryan C the original | March 27, 2009, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm