“JOBS GOVERNOR” HAS NO ANSWER FOR CHRONIC JOBLESSNESS
S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley has been aggressively touting the reduction of the Palmetto State’s unemployment rate in recent months … but what she doesn’t say is how this so-called “good news” has been achieved.
In addition to government-subsidized “economic development” deals (which shift the state’s tax burden down to individual taxpayers and small businesses), Haley has driven down the state’s unemployment rate by …. wait for it … shrinking its workforce.
That’s right …
The percentage of unemployed South Carolinians is declining because the state’s work force continues to shrink.
According to the latest available data, South Carolina’s labor participation rate stood at 58.1 percent in January – just one-tenth of a percentage point above its all-time low of 58 percent in December. Of course that’s a seasonally adjusted figure – the actual rate for January was 57.7 percent.
Another record low …
Labor participation – which tracks the number of working age citizens who are either gainfully employed or searching for a job – peaked under Haley at 60.9 percent (in June 2011) but has been falling precipitously ever since.
Here’s data from the last ten months …
SC LABOR PARTICIPATION RATES
January – 58.1 percent
December – 58.0 percent
November 58.1 percent
October – 58.2 percent
September – 58.4 percent
August – 58.4 percent
July – 58.5 percent
June – 58.7 percent
May – 58.8 percent
April – 58.9 percent
(For historical labor participation rate data, click here).
Yeah …
How bad are those numbers? Very bad. South Carolina’s unadjusted labor participation rate is 5.3 percentage points below the national rate of 63 percent – which has bottomed out at three-decade lows under U.S. President Barack Obama’s “recovery.”
In other words South Carolina is (as usual) badly trailing the rest of the country – which itself is experiencing workforce shrinkage not seen since the late 1970s.
Remember those numbers the next time someone (cough … Haley) tells you “it’s a great day in South Carolina.”
23 comments
I don’t cough anymore when Haley speaks
I strain to lock up my sphincter to keep from crapping in my bibs
Roll on Gypsy Queen Dooh Nibor, roll on damnit !!
Jim, does your bib have a flap in the rear? And is it buttons, zipper, or velcro?
While the Fed money masters continue to “prime the pump”, which isn’t helping Haley- all she has to do is cut back government and cut taxes to at least be doing a little better in comparison to most of the other states in an overall shitty environment.
That might include establishing a program for the SCDOT to determine which road are critical and then focus on spending money only on them and handing off road responsibility to a local level on those that aren’t critical….instead of say borrowing more printed up money and keeping the SCDOT a large, bloating, tax money sucking albatross.
You know, stuff like that x100(all sorts of inefficient SC agencies abound) might help so SC can lower taxes and generate more private income….but it’s all too complicated for Haley.
So I suppose throwing her hands up and saying “fuck it” is really best given her mental capacities.
Are you kidding me? Cut taxes? SC taxes are already some of the lowest in the country. I moved here from NJ, so I know what high taxes are!
Her admin. has cut so much and closed so many offices. People here have to drive 50 miles to get permits since our DHEC office was shut down. Some have to drive the same distance to get to a State Employment office. How can somebody with no job and no money get the state’s help to look for a job when they can’t afford the gas to get there/
” I moved here from NJ, so I know what high taxes are! ”
And why did you move from NJ? Were the opportunities better for you down here or was it for personal reasons?
More people are now moving out of California, NY, & NJ due to taxes.
Maybe people who need a job can find one without help form government. I know that’s controversial, but it’s a possibility.
But hey, I’m sure Haley appreciates a left leaning defense of her policies.
Defense of her policies? Where did I do that?
I followed somebody here and was actually foolish enough to believe I could get a job here, since I have so much experience in so many things and am a self starter. Well, where I live (the sandhills), all that really matters is who you know; and even then there have been no jobs for the 9 years I’ve been here. Thank goodness I know how to hustle for a buck! There are no jobs here, and your heroine would rather have that than have union jobs.
As far as people going to the employment office looking for work, in this county 60% of the people have no internet access; so they have to either go to there or the library. At least at the employment office they get assistance, since many don’t even know how to use a computer.
I tutor English part time at our local college and attended it for my AA and am amazed at what SC schools graduate and are sending to college! Better education produces better citizens. It’s time for SC to move into the 21st century with Vincent Sheheen!
“There are no jobs here, and your heroine would rather have that than have union jobs.”
lmao!
With your reading comprehension it’s no wonder you can’t find a job.
“I tutor English part time at our local college and attended it for my AA and am amazed at what SC schools graduate and are sending to college!”
And you are living proof.
Nothing wrong with my sentences. I also write for a local paper and am quite respected. I am 67 years old and proud of the grades I pulled in college over the past 4 years.
As far as my “reading comprehension” goes, I did read several weeks ago that Queen Haley said she did not want union jobs in SC.
Don’t tell her about all the union crafts working at Oconee Nuclear Power Station, SCE&G two new nukes in Jenkinsville, Google Data Center in Moncks Corner(All private industry), or the 4,000 at Savannah River Site. And, ALL these UNION workers have their OWN (self funded) pensions and health insurance.
ALL of them also pay social security,state, and federal income tax.
LIVE BETTER!
WORK UNION!
NIKKI HALEY ONLY CARES ABOUT NIKKI HALEY!
From Strom Thurmond’s ghost — “jus’ fo’ mo’ years!”
I’d encourage people to click the link because labor participation rate has been falling for this state since 2000, just as it has for the entire country:
http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CIVPART/
While Haley has certainly failed to bring a lot of jobs to this state, the labor participation rate isn’t necessarily her fault. Again, I’d point to baby boomers and the aging population of SC.
The population of South Carolina residents 60 and older grew by 40
percent from 2000 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census. By 2030, that
population is expected to increase by 67 percent to more than 1.5
million people, according to a population estimate from the S.C. Office
of Research and Statistics.
http://www.thestate.com/2013/11/29/3129620/the-aging-of-sc-to-be-costly.html
Things like this, among other factors, is going to keep driving that rate down.
Smirks-
Nice try …
https://www.fitsnews.com/2014/01/20/spinning-americas-shrinking-workforce/
-W
No Will, it makes a valid point that deserves more research. If we have a huge baby-boomer population that at age 65 decides getting another job is not work it, and takes retirement, than participation rates may in fact continue to decline for another 15 to 20 years as that baby boomer bubble works through.
Just saying – could be a worthy Master’s thesis for someone over at USC.
Those causes in your linked article have nothing to do with Nick I Haley.
Grand Tango must be 65.
I can’t wait to see her take credit for the new BMW line that will be announced shortly. Of course, no mention will be made of all of the tax credits she will throw at them that will only be uncovered after she is running for higher office. I hate that grifting bitch.
SCDEW is supposed to find South Carolinians jobs. Private companies ask the local WIAs to find qualified workers. First they have to first register with SCDEW. It takes two and one-half months for companies to get a registration # from Haley’s cabinet department. By then copanies give up. Gross inefficiencey. But they do get a nice greeting when they call SCDEW to inquire about this massive delay, “It’s a great day in South Carolina.”
Economically, the whole country is in a MESS…It began with Barack Obama…It is his fault more than anyone else’s…
You may Hate Haley…but you show ignorance trying to blame job problems on her.
Let’s see – let’s not edumacate them – it costs too much, and it requires us to be edumacated to begin with… and we sure as hell ain’t gonna lissen to no *outsiders*…
… and there ain’t no use in crying over spilt jobs over seas.. .since the rich need them dot heads and chinks to lower costs so they can enrich their corporations without having to deal with bullshit like “living wage,” “workplace safety” and “the environment.”
Soooo… we’ll just keep people mad as hell, and tell them to vote for the guys that put all that in place…. again.
Nothing will change, but the goobers are too damn dumb to know *that*.
Software, robots, foreign technology, manufacturing processes developed overseas, raw materials brought in from foreign countries, foreign technical support, Super Massive Transport Cargo Ships… all South Carolina has to do is enable their brilliant students graduating every year from their excellent schools to compete in their garage against multimillion dollar companies without research and development money, and we’re *there*!
You mean like the google guys or Jobs and the Woz?
You got it!