In terms of the economy, team Biden – including the crony media – has been selling a preposterous rose-colored view of the economy despite the reality being experienced by the folks back home – especially those who do not live in millionaire and billionaire bubbles. According to Biden and the leftwing spin machine, the economy is GREAT, and the people are too ignorant to see it. What the people in Pomona and Poughkeepsie are seeing is not real. They (we) just do not get it.
The only blame Democrats lay on themselves is that they are not messaging properly. People are not hearing their good news gospel. If there is anything that the people have heard ad nausea is the Biden economic message.
Over the course of many months, Biden took bows for monthly job reports that showed a high number of new jobs and lower unemployment. He celebrated cost-increasing inflation that was running lower than the 8 and 9 percent of just a few months ago – but still adding to the financial burden of the average American.
Now we have the August Job Report — and it is not good for any American who has to pay the bills. According to the Report, the economy added 187,000 jobs in August. The unemployment rate increased from 3.5 to 3.8 percent. According to past assessments, that is not good news. For the past three months, job numbers have fallen far below the early months in 2023.
In addition to the August number falling below the theoretical goal of 200,000 jobs per month, the previous months numbers were downgraded by more than 100,000 jobs. Those readjustments – almost always a downward – do not get much media attention.
It needs to be kept in mind that Biden’s claim of creating more jobs than any past President is better described as malarky. They were created on his watch, but not due to anything he did. They were the re-employment of workers laid off because of the Covid Pandemic. Ironically, the number of re-hires is so high because of the over reaction to the Pandemic in the first place.
The unemployment number is generally easy to assess. Up is bad and down is good. However, since the Federal Reserve is trying to INCREASE unemployment by raising interest rates as a means to REDUCE inflation, the increase in the August unemployment number is being heralded as a good thing. Whether unemployment goes up or down, Biden heralds it as good news – and a testament to his policies.
He takes (excessive) credit for job creation even though the Fed is working hard to increase the unemployment levels. In other words, Biden is claiming to create jobs that the Fed hopes no one takes. And we should not ignore the fact that those job killing increased interest rates by the Fed are another significant financial burden on the average American.
Inflation is still running too high, and prices are still going up … up … up. The average family is putting out $700 more per month than they did when Biden took office. That is an astounding $8400 per year. Think of that in terms of individuals and families making less than the poverty level – which is approximately $13,000 for an individual with an additional $2400 for each additional member of a household.
The increase in wages – for which Biden also takes credit – is falling behind inflation. And even if wage increases surpass inflation – the purchasing power of the family will remain below pre-inflations rates. Inflation does not go away. It creates a new plateau of costs that remains. That is why eggs were 29 cents a dozen in 1950 and more than $4.00 a dozen today.
The only positive thing that can be said about the August Jobs Report is that it could have been worse. But it is still a blow to the budgets of the American people. They understand that – and see that — no matter what hogwash Biden tries to peddle. The economy is sputtering, and the public knows it.
So, there ‘tis.