Glimmers of Hope, for new grads.

There is hope that the graduates from college in spring will find a job, but that still doesn't say that the economy is thriving. Last year, many who graduated from college found it nearly impossible to find employment. A lot of employers prefer to hire people who have experience and more than just a college degree. Statistics show that 24 percent of 2010 college graduates who applied for a job have one waiting after graduation were up from 20 percent last year. But the average salary offered to graduates with a bachelor’s degree has slipped 1.7 percent from last year, to $47,673.

People with just liberal arts degrees have had a hard time finding jobs, since there are not that many pertaining to their major. However degrees in Accounting, Computer Science, Engineers, have been thriving with salary increases of almost 6 %. The same rules apply to people who want to find a good job, they need connections and credentials if they want to succeed in the job market.

Economists are afraid that if there is a sudden burst in job offers, it may lead to a double recession which may in turn be worse than what has occured in the past two years. Employers have been very pessimistic about hiring people, and will only do so if they have to. Furthermore, what limited positions are available are taken with great scrutiny because they receive so many applications.

Nowdays, a college degree isn't enough. Even people with masters and first proffessional degrees are finding it hard to find a job. However, according to the article there may be hope. I think that if someone has the right job that is in demand, then the job market will be to their advantage. Jobs in the medical field such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists have never been short-handed even during the recession. Some other jobs that are in the field of marketing, finance, and liberal arts are in danger of disappearing. Moreover, people who graduate from schools in the west coast like in California, or others who graduate in the midwest like Ohio, want to move to regions where there is oppurtunity.

For the many who can't seem to find a job, should just remain optimistic and something will come around...eventually.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/business/economy/25gradjobs.html?pagewanted=2&ref=business&src=me

Rent Control

Living in decently in New York City is quite expensive. However, there have been some older apartments that have been able to be rented for a smaller price than newer apartments. Unfortunately, many landlords are selling their buildings and having their tenants leave so that the buildings can be renovated and rented out at a higher price.

With the job market not doing so well, many people cannot afford to pay over 1,000 a month for an apartment. Many other tenants are upset because they have been used to paying less than 300 a month for an apartment, but are now facing eviction. There have been some rent regulations where the price cannot exceed a certain amount for people who have a family and cannot work.

Landlords also want to increase the prices, but they have to battle with the housing codes. So the majority of landlords chose not to renew the contracts on the tenants and just sell the land to others. It isn't fair that many people have to face being homeless because there is no place to live a modest lifestyle at an affordable price.

Certain housing areas in places like Greenwich Village and Upper East Side have increased their prices dramatically to fit in with the wealthy upper class who want to live there. A lot of historical apartment buildings have been featured in movies and on shows. Inflation in housing has not been in proportion to people with lower salaries.

It has always been difficult to find a decent apartment in New York City at an affordable price. I don't see this changing in the future because more and more people want to live in the city every year for various reasons. So it is safe to say that in New York City, you have to have a very good salary to find a good apartment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/nyregion/25appraisal.html?ref=nyregion

Largest Hiring burst in years, but jobless rate

Good or Bad News? In April the economy improved with the burst of 290,000 jobs, which was the biggest amount of jobs created since the recession. However, the unemployment rate instead of decreasing like predicted, actually rose some .2% which is still hard to understand. Economists predict that many who gave up hope looking for a job months ago, felt optimistic after hearing about the news. Several people went out looking for jobs which changed the statistics.

The good news that many feel is that companies are finally taking the risk by hiring more for their business. President Obama described this additon of jobs as "very encouraging news". However, there is still a long way to go. It provides safety for people who have finally attained a job, but it offers no comfort to people who still are out of work.

Many Economists now have predicted that the unemployment rate will rise above 10 percent in the months mainly because of the stock market crash in Europe.

Furthermore, as of now 15.3 million people were noted as being out of work last month and the number of people who have been out of work for six months or more has also risen. Hiring is not expected to reduce the unemployment rate anytime soon.

These are clear signs that the economy is improving. Needless to say, there is still a long way to go. People still are out of work, and according to economists the unemployment rate won't drop until the mid decade at the least. Still this is a sign of improvment, things don't happen overnight and I think that if little changes such as this occur, it will lead to a recovery.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/2000507/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/us_economy

Stats show that many U.S. residents want the Immigration Laws

Many feel that the proposed Immigration law set forth in the state of Arizona, was years in the making. The immigration law allows the authorities to demand legal proof of residence to anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. A lot are certain that it will lead to racial profiling. Governor Jan Brewer made some adjustments to the bill on Friday, stating that no police officer should practice any sort of racial profiling when investigating a person's residence in the country.

According to the polls, many think that illegal immigration is a serious problem. However, it is an issue that is hard to solve. It seems better that the government should focus more on increasing security at the border, rather than trying to focus on people who may or may not be living in the country illegally.

The majority of people interviewed felt that the federal government should make the final decision on what to do about illegal immigration. While 51 % feel that the Arizona Immigration law is just "about right" in its approach to resolve the situation. Several people also share the opinion that illegal immigrants living in the country contribute to the faltering economy, because they evade paying taxes and are seeking employment illegally. They also feel that they take jobs away and the social security funds are suffering. However, statistics have said that many illegal immigrants do, in fact pay taxes, but they never see the benefit of paying to the social security or a return on their contributions.

It seems that many want to see how the law will turn out. As always, there are pros and cons to a situation. I think that the team who worked together to gather this information did an excellent job because it has been able to give the readers more of an insight into the situation. The bill may be risky in some cases and it is a big step for the federal government.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/us/04poll.html?ref=politics

Many Traumatized by the effects of being unemployed

Often times we hear that many are traumatized and emotionally distraught as a result of experiencing a travesty. However, there are many cases of that now, more than ever because of people who are still unemployed. Conversely, you would think that many who have finally found employment would put everything behind them and move on with their new job. Unfortunately, many are still hurt as a result of what has happened. Many cannot shake what being unemployed has done to themselves and their families. People who once had a pitch perfect credit score, were now falling behind on loans and in danger of having their homes foreclosed. In the article Mrs. Newby left the unemployment stricken city of Detroit to Raleigh North Carolina when she won the coveted position of an advertising executive agent, with a six figure salary. Unfortunately, this does not provide solace for her because she still has lingering feelings about what she had experienced when she was unemployed. She and her husband had to sell her expensive suburban home, and they lost their car when the lease was up. In addition to that their marriage suffered because they were getting calls from creditors.

There are still several bills that they have to pay together, that the income that she is making may take awhile to pay off. Mrs. Newby is also skeptical about the amount of time that she will be able to spend at her job, because she still feels that she may lose it in an instant and go through the same cycle of events. I was reading similar tragic stories where people who once had everything...now are on the verge of being homeless.

However, I began to notice that the majority of these people facing such scenarios, are the ones who lived above their income, as opposed to living modestly. It is bad when one is laid off, but if they have lived a modest life, they can learn to budget what they have and as time goes by they can see what they can do to still keep moving foreward. Others, who were only earning 60,000 a year and were buying 400,000 dollar homes and expensive cars suffered the effects almost immediately. If someone had been living modestly and only spending what they had, and saving money they could be able to push it as far as they can until they find a new job, and won't have to face these consequences.

But I guess that these experiences caused by unemployment has actually made people stronger. They have learned the importance of budgeting money and it has helped them become better people. From what I have read, more are going to church/other religious services, volunteering in the community, helping others, this is great. If people could build a strong spirit, everything will be just fine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/us/06return.html?pagewanted=2

Arizona Immigration Law sparks controversy

The main intent of the Arizona immigration law is to ensure the safety of the citizens. However, a lot of people are skeptical about this because there are already over 400,000 individuals living in the state illegally. Furthermore, the state has to use funds from their budget to organize the program and a lot of time is invested into this. Some feel that this law makes the state veer away from their duties.

Although, the law has not been passed it has already been intact. Many who are suspected of being in the country illegally, are being warned that many officials will demand legitimate proof of residency. The governor Jan Brewer, feels that while there is a lot of time invested in this proposed act, it is to ensure the safety of the state.

Many think that it is absurd and it goes against what the government is required to do. A lot of neighboring states are boycotting any business activity until the verdict on whether the law has been passed or not.

I don't think that there should be so much time invested in this act. There is nothing wrong. Why fix what isn't broken?

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/28/

U.S. trying to prevent homelessness

Specifically in areas where there is a high percentage of unemployment, a lot of people who once thought they had everything, are now facing the possibility of living on the streets, something many thought would never happen. The U.S. federal government has given grants to many states who have this problem in order to prevent many from becoming homeless. A lot of these grants help others pay the more important bills, and also find ways to create temporary jobs for them. Unfortunately, not many qualify and several are turned down because there is only so much money and help that can be given out. Many are suffering in areas in California, Florida, and Michigan. One individual went from having almost a six-figure salary and all the perks that come with that, to facing eviction. The economy has affected many, even the people who have had the highest education and rewarding careers are facing this possibility. Several who are also becoming sick and coming close to not being able to work, are also facing the prospect of being laid off. The government does not know what to do to prevent this problem. Unemployment benefits have been increased from six months to over a year, but still it doesn't provide relief for many who have lost their jobs for years. A lot of jobs surprisingly turn down many individuals who are over-qualified, and many do not have the money to go back to school. Barack Obama has worked really hard to fix this problem, he has extended unemployment and passed a brand new health care bill, the government feels that it is good to provide grants to states who have been heavily affected by the recession, but it doesn't always work.

It's hard for people who are used to having change occur rapidly, because they are now losing patience. Many are discouraged and are just about ready to give up. Economists strongly predict that these grants can provide temporary relief, but after that they are on their own.

I was so heartbroken when I finished reading the article. I was shocked when I read about individuals who had once a stable job, a good house, and money to invest in other things, but now they are forced to deal with the fact that they have lost everything because they are now unemployed. So many have been out of a job for so long that it is hard for them to remember how it was when they once had a job and a good home to live in, and other things that they never thought that they would ever lose.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/business/economy/22prevent.html?ref=todayspaper