Who is seeing evidence of economic growth in their everyday life?

[smirkymonkey]

We keep hearing about how great the economy is doing, yet I think there is a lot of "fuzzy math" going on - this supposed growth doesn't seem to be based on anything solid and there are so many things that bode for future disaster (deficit, stock fundamentals, state of the world (oil,euro,instability) the list goes on..).

Are any of you really buying this? Where do you see evidence of this growth in your daily experience?

[bryant69]

1. A nother question

WHat about the seasonal effect on the economy? I mean I do see christmas decorations going up and all that, and that does help the economy--but then in January it all comes tumbling down again, doesn't it?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[catmandu57]

5. I don't get out too often, but,

It seems too me that there aren't as many new houses being built, nor are the lot's to build them on selling as briskly as they were a few years ago.
There was a news item yesterday about layoffs at Sprint, and the help wanted section in the paper has shrank considerably. So, I don't know, if the economy is growing it must be somewhere else.

[Gloria]

9. Lots of houses being built, I think backlogged

but more and more seem to be "spec" houses....partially finished and for sale; totally finished and for sale; finished with bank signs on them, being rented; recently finished, rented, but now vacant....

Gut feeling is that there is some slowing down. Or people who "bought" are losing their interest rate deals and are dropping out...esp. since the builders are a couple of months behind schedule because of the surge that occurred earlier....

[reprobate]

43. Gloria, if a lot of the new homes are built on spec.......

....then we all better fasten our seat belts and stock up on oxygen bottles. That's the same thing that happened in the 80s here in central florida. Big demand so the builders planted anything they could get construction loans on. Not long after that, with new home inventories at an all time high, the bottom fell out and they were stuck with inventory and no one to sell it to. It took the area five years to recover.

If many of them are spec homes, I would not want to be a builder right now or in the near future.

[theivoryqueen]

2. Nope, in fact just got IRS ass-kicking....

the economy might be perking up due to the seasonal purchasing frenzy, but job-wise, still flat as a pancake.

[leftyandproud]

3. well, I got a job

:)

LOTS of HELP WANTED ads in the paper...Pretty much anyone can get a job paying $9.00 an hour immediately...assembly, warehouse, 3rd shift stocking..whatever. Plenty of positions available and very decent pay for entry level positions...helpful for the upcoming holiday buying binge. If you really want a job, you can find one immeduately...maybe not in your chosen field...but work nonetheless.

[DemNoir]

13. Lots of $9.00 an hour dead end jobs is not good news

This is the trend and these types of jobs cannot support the middle class.

[leftyandproud]

16. work is work

lots is better than zero $9.00 jobs

[qanda]

34. I agree that work is work

However, most people with a family cannot survive off that type of money. Especially, if their lifestyle is based on a considerably higher wage.

Thankfully, my husband is getting more work, but that is typical for him at this time of year-- he does sound reinforcement. He used to do it on the side, but now he's been forced to do it for a living, because he lost his job last year.

[smirkymonkey]

36. Yes, but lots of $9.00 per hour jobs,

replacing former $25.00 plus/per hour jobs is not going to keep the economy going.

The bottom levels are getting more competitive because people who were once making good money doing jobs that suited their qualifications are now desperate enough to take lower paying jobs just to have something coming in.

Eventually, the bottom falls out...

[Lorien]

4. Not me.

the corporation I work for is bleeding jobs from every division, and this isn't getting any ink in the business pages (which is surprising, because it's a major US corp.) The vast majority of my friends are jobless-most no longer on the unemployment rolls because they've stopped looking, or tried to start their own companies and still haven't turned a profit. Even the ones that ARE employed have had their wages cut and health insurance premiums rise dramatically, and aren't spending money.

[evil_orange_cat]

6. I am!!!

I'm seeing pop stars on MTV Cribs... athletes that suck making millions... corporate execs getting paid while everyone else is losing out...

[Nederland]

7. I am

My company (Level3) stopped laying people off about a year ago and started hiring again. Still have lots of IT friends looking though.

[ScotTissue]

22. I am.

I got an 11% raise in October and my long-unemployed consultant brother-in-law landed a job in Baltimore.

Unfortunately, too many in progressive circles will want to downplay the recovery of the economy. We can certainly downplay the positive effects of the recovering economy for all Americans, but to argue with numbers and the facts that honest Americans are going to be noticing is foolhardy. It will make us look like asses. Not donkeys, mind you! :)

[KayLaw]

33. I can't agree

I'm honest in reporting in what I see and with all the lies and manipulation coming from the Bush administration, who can blame anyone who doubts the information they put out? It's hard to believe a thing they say. As Bush tried to say, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

[ScotTissue]

38. I'm sorry

But I can't lie about what is actually going on in my life and in the life of my family way across the country. We are seeing better times. So are others. it is not a matter of information versus disinformation.

[tinrobot]

8. Picking up for me..

I own a business and this year was awful for me (but I did take a few months off...) In the past few weeks I've seen an explosion in new opportunities. Who knows, it might get to the point where I have to hire more people. Cross your fingers.

Even if the economy is specatacular, it won't make me vote for Republicans... though I may have more money to give to Democrats.

[Yupster]

10. I'm a stockbroker, so

I'm seeing everyone's accounts up 20 % this year.

Of course that's still way below where they were four years ago.

[Robin Hood]

29. Up 20% from -100%

Putting lip stick on a pig.

[Kahuna]

11. Actually, In my area of NJ, construction is still going at

at fever pitch. You wouldn't believe the homes that are being built. They are called "McMansions." Last week I went to an estate sale in very upperscale Short Hills. The home was a split level about 50 years olds. The land was purchased for 1.25 million. The split will be demolished and a McMansion will be built in it's place. Other McMansions were in the process of being built on the same street. They're all over.

New townhomes going for 500K are going up all around. Truthfully, I've never seen such high-end construction going up on in my life. Also, I see a lot of highway construction. Our unemployment rate is 5.7%.

[Paragon]

12. This is true of every administration...

...even during the economic/tech boom of the Clinton years. Always will be, until the unlikely event of politicians getting serious about the minimum wage and the plight of the poor.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. Nope...

I see nothing but downsizing right and left.

Every year I do holiday design work for downtown offices (primarily banking, brokerage firms, real estate), and I find it to be a classic indicator of how things are really going. Orders this year are worse then they were last year, and are the worst I've seen them in the ten years I have been doing this.

When times are tight it's the extras like holiday decor that go out the window. One firm I have designed for since I first started used to order 40+ wreaths each year, this Christmas they are only decorating the reception and lobby.

Also, film/video production in my town is practically nonexistent.

Sure, the ecomony's booming... :eyes:

[DemNoir]

15. In my circle of friends

Everyone is either unemployed, or living week to week wondering if this is the week they get cut.

If you base the economy on reckless spending then it is doing great, plenty of that going on around here. Where the money will come from to pay for it all is anyone's guess.

[reprobate]

44. It will come from our children and grandchildren.

Altho they won't be able to pay much at a time with the menial jobs that will be all that's available.

America----First among the third world.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Well, it seems to be looking up in Japan

I'm getting more translation work.

But here? No change, except that my 62-year-old relative who was unemployed for so long that she decided to go on SS has found a part-time job in a dress shop.

My 60-year-old and 63-year-old friends are still looking.

Meanwhile, the newspapers are full of news of continued layoffs.

[1songbird]

18. Things were looking better for my household

until Bush decided that overtime would be cut for white collar workers. Going from a "DINK" household to a single income with one kid household was not that bad with overtime pay. Good economy or not we will have to make some changes.

[mbee]

19. A few persons I know have gotten jobs in the past two years and they

work basically 7 days a week. Then in the slow period of the year they get the pink slip. Has anyone seen or heard anything inside pug circles that would indicate they are telling pug business people to hire for a few months and then lay-off and try to get out of paying unemployment by telling lies about the employee? One person I know was told he broke some rule which was a lie to get out of the unemployment. I think they're trying their best to rig the unemployment numbers by these types of activities. Has anyone heard anything that would indicate this?

[rucky]

20. Holiday Season

it always picks up.

I work retail, and yes, it's busy... BUT everyone's using plastic (credit...not debit cards) and I'm getting more & more declines (and the season hasn't even really started yet).

but we won't really know anything 'til January

[Silverhair]

21. Yes. At my wife's place, orders are up & they are hiring. n/t

[democratreformed]

23. I have to admit that

in my particular industry, (contractors for grain, feed, and seed facilities), we are seeing an upswing and expecting a very good year next year. It can be explained b/c the farmers in our area had near perfect conditions this year - the crops were great and the prices were too.

[grasswire]

25. hunger is at an all-time high...

....in my state. Food banks are drained out. Food stamp applications are way up. The jobs section of the newspaper is down to two skimpy pages with not even any restaurant work listed. Mostly temp agency ads.

[democratreformed]

27. Really?

I'm not trying to be ugly. I just wasn't aware. My daughter did a community service project here in our area where she posted signs telling about how hunters could donate unwanted game to help feed the hungry. I can't remember the name of the agency or group who does this.

Where are you from? That makes me very sad.

[FlaGranny]

24. I am, I am. - My grocery bill has gone through the roof.

Someone indeed had economic growth, trouble is, it was not me. But I HAVE seen the evidence.

[RebelOne]

37. Yes, I was going to say the same thing.

Food prices keep going up, up and up.

[KFC]

26. Definitely

Our company (consulting) is hiring and it looks like we will have to expand into a larger office.

[Robin Hood]

28. Just heard the media whores this morning

On MSRNC, Saying that the Dem don't have the economy to talk about anymore and all they have left is Iraq, and progress is being made there, with operations like IronHammer.

Here in Portland oregon nothing has changed, the economy is shit. If you're lucky enough to have a job, it's usually a part time one or work for some temp agency for 7 bucks an hour part time with no benefits. The jobs in the Sunday paper are few and crappy with hundreds of people scrambling for each one.

I have no idea what these corporate media whores are talking about, but I'm sure that they're just trying to get Bush re-elected, despite the obvious. Every time one of them lies to me so blatantly on TV, it makes me feel like sticking a hot poker in their eye, because that is what they are doing to me.

BTW. happy fucking holidays.

[htuttle]

30. We've been able to hire without advertising in the Help Wanted ads

But it's an entry-level, service industry job, so that's not a good sign. In fact, that's a bad sign.

Back when Clinton was President, we used to have to spend tens of thousands a year on help-wanted ads. Now they just come streaming in the door, unprompted and more than we need.

Great resumes, too. Just saw one yesterday for someone who had 8 years experience in IT (+ degree). Now they get to drive a taxi.

Don't believe the hype. The economy is phucked.

[KayLaw]

31. Not in our family

My husband will get a 1% raise but is now doing the job of two. Most people I know are retired and are getting killed by the low interest rates. Lots of older people who saved and were living comfortably on CD interest are having to cut way back.
The young couple across the street work in manufacturing molds for automakers. Their company went from 24/7 operations to one shift and a four day week. They're still not sure what will happen to the country.

[otohara]

32. My Hubby Keeps Coming Home Early - No Customers

Especially the last few weeks - he's worried he will lose his job.

[Scott Lee]

35. I see former professionals now asking "paper or plastic?"

I see people with 30 years experience in high tech or engineering fields restocking 7-11 shelves.

I hear of long time experts in their field(s), in suits and with valise in hand, scouring the part time janitorial job availabilities at the local Unemployment Job Search centers.

If that's what the right wants to call "economic growth", they are entitled to their opinion. As whack as it may be.

[Ficus]

39. I don't see jack

I work for a Food Bank and I can't count how many calls I got this week of people looking for pantries and/or Thanksgiving meals. And these aren't lazy welfare queens, these are people who just lost their jobs. Out here in the non-profit world things look bleak.

[thebaghwan]

40. My wife is losing her job at the end of the year.

We know maybe 12 other people not associated with my wife's company who are losing their jobs at the end of the year.

[Hamlette]

41. new unemployment claims

are down for 2003 BUT you have to remember that TEUC and TRA kept people on longer than before.

I don't have the numbers before me but we got the charts at work last week (I work at the unemployment office, Job Service in many states).

The "pay out" chart is astonishing. A basically flat line from 1984 through 2000 (goes up slightly in 2000) then goes through the roof for 2001 and 2002. 2003 is going back down but no where near the pre 2001 levels.

The reserves chart was equally as dramatic. We have dipped below the safe level. Many states are at zero reserves. Scary.

The unemployment rates in my state are going up, in some cases by 300% for next year. We lowered them in 1998 because things were so rosy (against the advice of many of us in the Department). We are afraid the legislature will lower the benefit rate so the tax rate won't have to go up so high. Makes me mad because had we not lowered the rate in 1998 we wouldn't need either right now so employer have had the advantage of rates that were too low for the last 5 years and now want to cut unemployment benefits rather than raise the rates back to where they were.

[Think Globally]

42. Start at Zero and any gain looks big.