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* Taking advantage of newly announced unemployment rate numbers, the Quinn campaign is unveiling a new positive TV spot today…
Quinn for Illinois today rolled out a new campaign ad highlighting the Governor’s commitment to driving job creation and turning the Illinois economy around.
Set in front of the Ford plant in Chicago he worked with to help grow, the ad ends with Governor Quinn strapping into the driver’s seat and saying, “We’ve got a ways to go, but we’re making the tough decisions to get us rolling again.”
The state’s unemployment rate is now at its lowest level since July 2008, and there’s more work to do.
“Everybody in?” Gov. Quinn asks to conclude the ad.
The Ford plant is just one example of Governor Quinn’s commitment to jobs.
* The ad…
* The script…
Governor Quinn: “This Ford Explorer was built at that facility by these folks right here in Illinois. Our economic initiative allowed Ford to hire 2,500 more workers, and that supports other Illinois businesses, creating even more jobs. Unemployment is now at its lowest level since before the Great Recession.
“I’m Pat Quinn. We’ve got a ways to go but we’re making the tough decisions to get us rolling again.
“Everybody in? I’m driving.”
* Meanwhile, from yesterday…
“The key words I think today are unemployment is down and jobs are up,” Quinn said. […]
“It’s the steepest decline in unemployment in the last 30 years in Illinois,” he said.
In August of last year, the Illinois jobless rate was 9.2 percent. Last month’s rate was 6.7 percent as state officials report the creation of 13,800 jobs, including 2,000 in manufacturing.
“These unemployment rate statistics can be misleading,” Rauner said. […]
“Many thousands of families in Illinois have stopped looking for work,” Rauner said. “That’s not a good reason to have the unemployment rate fall.”
* Tribune…
Speaking at a downtown job fair for veterans, Rauner said the data could be “misleading,” arguing the jobless rate may have dropped because many people have simply stopped looking for work.
“The voters know and they’ve told me crystal clear that they don’t believe Illinois is going the right way and they are suffering,” Rauner said, before attending a closed-door fundraiser with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate. […]
“For those who want to be naysayers, they’re missing the boat. Get on board, get on board with the people of Illinois,” Quinn said, before criticizing Rauner’s investments in companies that outsourced jobs overseas.
* Rauner has a point, up to a point. The reality is Illinois’ unemployment rate is hugely lower than it was a year ago and there’s simply no denying that. The non-stop naysayers need to take a breath already. Y’all are starting to remind me of those relentlessly goofy poll “unskewers” from 2012.
Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal has a totally different take. He thinks the federal government is somehow skewing the unemployment rates because Republican states are experiencing increased rates while Democratic states are showing declining rates. I kid you not…
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:49 am
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I wonder how much of the drop in people looking for work is due to the aging baby-boomer generation?
I guess that explanation doesn’t make for good political ads, so we’ll probably never know.
Comment by train111 Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:52 am
Any time the Bilious Billionaire wants to talk about a lack of jobs, Quinn just needs to remind everyone that Rauner had a company designed to outsource jobs from Illinois.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:55 am
Rauner is slowly losing the basis for all of his arguments. He can go back and talk about the tax increase, it seems that might be all he has left.
I’m not a big follower of the unemployment # (Actually, I prefer the U6 number). Economics is a science, but when you put it into a political arena, it becomes more of a mood. If you feel like the economy is bad, it is (for political purposes). Remember when George HW Bush declared the recession over? He was skewered for that.
Rauner needs to convince people that the economy doesn’t work for them, and it’s Quinn’s fault. I think he’s losing steam there.
Comment by Try-4-Truth Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:56 am
Saw the ad this AM. Better ending would be for MJM to already be behind the wheel and say: “Pat, you can ride shotgun.”
Comment by Bogey Golfer Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:57 am
Wow…Mitt is bungling the simple stuff. Guess that Todd Aiken moment on the NFL domestic violence scandal really knocked him for a loop.
Speaking good news …..
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Ranked 19th in Nation
One of Springfield’s top tourist attraction is receiving top marks in a new report.
Tripadvisor, a travel website, took a look at millions of reviews and opinions of museums in the U.S. It then came out with a report of the best in the country.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum made the list coming in at number 19.
“Well first of all, I’m excited because I think that people recognize that this is a rare institution. We are an institution that is both filled with laughter and learning and education and entertainment, and we mix it all up. People have a good time here and they learn a lot,” said Eileen Mackevich, director of Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
Museum leaders say they think it placed so high because of the in-depth look it offers on one of America’s most influential presidents.
Comment by circularfiringsquad Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:57 am
Doesn’t this border on an advertisement for Ford?
Comment by Amateur Hour Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:58 am
And Rauner can just say PQ is lying to people. That ad had to be shot some time ago. Wonder how he knew what the UE rate would be??? Oh yeah, hey we can make it up and if need be, just revise it sometime down the road, maybe after November 4th.
Comment by Wally Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 9:58 am
Quinn’s Ad?
“Solid B” - above average, ‘fun’, metaphor of driving, with workers, a plant in Illinois made the vehicle, and marry that with the Unemployment numbers, it does the job;
Pat Quinn is driving us out of the mess.
It’s only a “Solid B” because the negative before have dinged Quinn really good, this doesn’t wipe clean all the Sins.
To the Insanity of the Tin Foil Hat Club;
Until a time comes that My Party can speak to issues within making it hyper-partisan, until that time, these are the reasons Indies look at us with scrunched noses and squinting eyes with that “really” face.
Yikes.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:01 am
So the governor of Georgia doesn’t understand that in “right to work” states where median wages are lower, that people have less money to spend, less tax revenue is generated, and fewer jobs are created. You can’t fix stupid.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:01 am
Excellent ad. Right on point and on time, for the positive side of his campaign.
The contest will be decided on the “dark side”, but this ad can help overall.
Comment by walker Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:02 am
good, positive ad that politicians like (and voters can’t seem to remember)…
Comment by bored now Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:04 am
This, please.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:04 am
http://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/in-illinois-it-s-easier-to-find-food-stamps-than/article_592f2aab-6dc1-531e-9be1-8398fa62f726.html
Saw this article today, it’s easier to find food stamps than a job in Illinois.
Comment by tsavo Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:04 am
Take off the tinfoil hat Gov. Deal. Every time the GOP screams about skewed data (remember the unemployment drop before the 2012 election that Trump and others said was the result of cooked books), they’re proven wrong. Enough already ya morons.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:04 am
It’s a new morning in Illinois!
Comment by Jimmy Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:05 am
===Until a time comes that My Party can speak to issues within making it hyper-partisan, until that time, these are the reasons Indies look at us with scrunched noses and squinting eyes with that “really” face.===
Apologies…
“Until a time comes that My Party can speak to issues within making it hyper-partisan, until that time, these are the reasons Indies look at ALL OF US with scrunched noses and squinting eyes with that “really” face.”
Stupid phone.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:05 am
Quinn’s best ad yet.
He doesn’t come off as a strong executive figure in general, so this ad helps in that area as well. 10 times better than the lawnmower ad.
Don’t know how Ford feels about being featured so heavily in a candidate’s political ad, but doubtful they would or should say anything about it since it’s free advertising and a positive ad.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:07 am
===That ad had to be shot some time ago. Wonder how he knew what the UE rate would be???===
Wally demonstrates once again why he is the king of the tinfoil mad hatters here.
Campaigns shoot a lot of ads. Some they keep in the can, some they air. This one could only be aired if the August UE numbers were positive.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:08 am
Oh, and this is the first time I’ve said this this year, but that’s a great Quinn ad. I give it an A-.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:08 am
Good ad.
Fact is, someone like Rauner would tout this as well. It’s an important metric. Its accuracy may be questionable — and there are always data notes that need to be appended — but it’s a fair metric. And it works across both party lines.
Rauner attacking this makes no sense. He’d tout it given the chance — and it doesn’t particularly endear someone to Rauner when he argues against what’s generally perceived as good news.
Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:09 am
Rating the ad I thought it was an ad for Ford. Didn’t we see the UE numbers drop for about 6 months prior to the presidential? Just sayin
Comment by Empty Suit Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:12 am
“Quinn anti-Chevrolet”
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:14 am
Wally: Quinn shot the ad early, just made up the numbers, and either lucked out when they came in, or they were skewed just for him?
Thanks, you just made me laugh out loud.
I’d just call it quick turnaround by an ad team doing their jobs well.
The Illinois numbers have been trending well, on paper, for a while now. The question is whether the average voter feels it yet.
Comment by walker Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:16 am
“It’s easier to find food stamps than a job in Illinois”
It’s not a dichotomy — an Illinois worker could get a job at a big box store and still qualify for food stamps, e.g. http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-in-public-assistance/
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:17 am
Finally, a follow up to the Lawnmower ad.
This is how Quinn should have always run his reelection campaign.
A+
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:18 am
If employment is so great, why in Peoria are there 135,000 seekers and 6,757 resumes at peoriahelpwanted.com?
Comment by Chillimon Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:20 am
Whether the governor of a state has much of an impact at all on the state’s unemployment rate is debatable.
But Quinn would be catching hell if the rate had continued to go up, so he gets to claim credit when it goes down. That’s standard politics.
I think it’s a good ad- good visuals, simple talking points. More like this, Pat, if you want to win.
Comment by DuPage Dave Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:22 am
== The question is whether the average voter feels it ==
As usual, @walker hits the bull’s-eye. How people see their personal situation is the most important metric through all of this.
It is part of what made the old Reagan question so powerful == Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago? ==
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:27 am
Quinn’s ad is very good. It connects the policy to the business and the people who build the product. Personal connection, strong show of leadership. Also sort of inside baseball snark re the old van ad. cause, really, everyone loves a new car!
Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:28 am
@ Chillimon,
Also, your number is off. The population of all of Peoria is 115,000. Apparently (according to you) even infants are looking for work? Plus a few thousand from outside the area?
Comment by How Ironic Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:30 am
I like the ad and hope Quinn does more positive ads. He does have a pretty good legislative record, so there’s more ad fodder.
Ducky LaMoore nails it, in regards to right to work and trickle down economics. Those states tend to be “takers” also, taking more federal money than they pay in.
“Didn’t we see the UE numbers drop for about 6 months prior to the presidential? Just sayin”
Oh, that? That was just another Obama false flag operation, like Benghazi, Ukraine, Gaza, ISIS, etc. Even Romney was an Obama plant to have an unelectable candidate.
Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:31 am
==And Rauner can just say PQ is lying to people==
Can’t say they are lying when the numbers say otherwise.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:34 am
VMan: I hear ya man. You have been right that the general distress and frustration, especially economically, are the big hurdles Quinn always has had to overcome. These ads might help with that a bit.
But with respect: they just wouldn’t have carried the day.
Quinn would have been too far behind the 8-ball right now, for these positive ads to be listened to, without some earlier hits slowing down Rauner’s momentum. Rauner still has the advantage of being the “change” candidate. On balance, the negatives are probably still more impactful for Quinn.
Comment by walker Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:35 am
== He thinks the federal government is somehow skewing the unemployment rates because Republican states are experiencing increased rates while Democratic states are showing declining rates==
And the political dopiness continues. I can’t believe some of these people can actually say things like this with a straight face. I suppose they can if they are actually dumb enough to believe it. That’s kind of scary since this guy is a governor.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:36 am
@Chillimon,
In addition How Ironic’s comment even in a very healthy economy you would expect to see many job seekers looking to upgrade to more lucrative opportunities.
But more to point, using this website data really says nothing about absolute employment rate or trend. It is one of those numbers of value only to the website owner.
It reminds me of a failed Soviet propaganda remark I read years ago when one of the party faithful asked a U.S. citizen if your health care system is so advanced how come you have so many graveyards? Not a lot of thought went into that one.
Comment by former southerner Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:36 am
“My dad says I’m an excellent driver, an excellent driver”.
Comment by Knome Sane Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:41 am
Good Ad for Quinn A+ on his end. I think it is largely a part of PQ Luck with the timing. In that it leaves him time before Novemeber to push the news.
That being said as others have mentioned it is going to depend on how people view the economy more than what the statisitcs show. It’s hard to buy a improving economy when your spouse, neighbor, cousin etc. still can’t find a job.
I still say that Rauner is making a mistake by not coopting the Reagan question and asking “Do you really want another 4 years like the last 5?”
Comment by Mason born Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:43 am
PQ is just lucky it wasn’t a GM plant.
Comment by Come on man! Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:46 am
“Many thousands of families in Illinois have stopped looking for work,” Rauner said.
I hear this all the time, especially from the right and especially since what seemed like just months after the bottom hit in 2008. Although, I’ve never heard it cited into the thousands of families in Illinois.
My question: Who are these people, where do they live, how do they make the house payment, car payment, etc.? Anyone know?
Comment by Cheswick Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:48 am
It’s a decent ad, but to my snarky mind brings up images of Toonces the Driving Cat from SNL in the old days, driving us right off the cliff. And is that guy riding shotgun an IDOT worker?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 10:52 am
===Who are these people, where do they live, how do they make the house payment, car payment, etc.? Anyone know?===
They’re retiring.
Nationally, about 10,000 people are retiring every day. Not sure how many in Illinois, but some percentage of that is happening here, every day. Some are also discouraged and have stopped looking for work. I’m guessing the repo companies have taken care of their car payments for them.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:01 am
With food stamp enrollment outpacing job creation by 2 to 1 in Illinois I would say Quinn has done one heck of a job for those that get Government jobs handing out welfare
Comment by Taxed Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:08 am
MrJM: “an Illinois worker could get a job at a big box store and still qualify for food stamps”
Nevermind a big box store, there are plenty of jobs all over that would still allow one to qualify for food stamps, if one has a family of 4, and a single wage earner–cutoff is $30,624, even with *zero* for ‘countable’ deductions.
The Chicago proposal for a $15/hr minimum wage would still leave a full time (40 hrs x 50 weeks) single earner head of a 4 person household eligible for SNAP.
Comment by Chris Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:23 am
The argument about labor participation rate (i.e., people stopped looking for work) doesn’t work as well in Illinois. Illinois has a higher labor participation rate than average.
The high labor participation rate does not completely explain why Illinois had a higher unemployment rate than other states for so long, but it is a part of it. If Rauner wants to raise the issue, he also has to deal with the simple fact that Illinois does better than a lot of states in keeping people active in the labor pool.
Comment by VM Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:25 am
VM makes a great point. Also, Illinois’ rate is higher because it’s the capital of the Midwest and attracts more job-seekers. Young graduates from Purdue and Michigan State aren’t heading in droves to Detroit. They’re heading here.
Comment by Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:43 am
has jeb endorsed bruce?
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:46 am
== how do they make the house payment, car payment, etc.? Anyone know? ==
One would think through public benefits, maxing out any credit one may have, support from friends and family, help from church and community organizations, and more generally by utilizing the social safety net we have in place.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:46 am
== Illinois has a higher labor participation rate than average. ==
Illinois also has a younger population than average.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 11:50 am
Rauner is good at creating large profits for a small group of investors and not so good at creating jobs for regular folks.
Comment by Jimmy Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 12:01 pm
Rauner would complain if the unemployment rate was 0.0% (a number he is familiar with)
Comment by foster brooks Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 12:11 pm
1. That was an awesome ad. A+. It’s right up there with Rodney Davis’s ads.
2. Where is Rauner and why is he not unloading? Who’s advising him?!
Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 12:20 pm
Very good ad, at least IMHO.
Also, some of you guys need to slow down with the conspiracy talk. When the unemployment rate was 9.2, Dillard and Brady were pointing to this exact same source as proof that the economy was a mess. Now that the rate is down, all of a sudden the numbers are rigged? National pols do the same thing with the numbers from the CBO - it drives me up a wall.
Comment by Lester Holt's Mustache Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 12:28 pm
Great ad. They have to be feeling pretty good about the numbers at PQ HQ to start dropping the positive feel-good ads right now. This is the way you run a campaign when you think you’ve got the edge.
Comment by Archiesmom Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 12:34 pm
For Quinn this is an above average ad. It is positive in tone from end to end. It highlights Illinois workers and their contribution to the local economy. It even shows Quinn putting on his seat belt (a positive safety message). Finally, it tell voters that “Quinn is in the drivers seat”. I think that the ad will appeal to many Illinois voters.
Too bad that he failed to say where he stands relative to MJM in Springfield or how many Illinois residents have given up on finding a job.
Comment by Hit or Miss Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:03 pm
Love the garbage bag to the right of the orange barrel in the last shot. Seriously?
It’s a great ad, as my first comment lays out, but leaving a garbage bag on the roadside in your closing shots is a good reason to dock points. Dropping it from an A+ to a B.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:14 pm
If you give up looking for a job in Illinois both unemployment numbers and the size of the workforce declines enabling one to declare a success.
However, when it comes to running the state, or the city of Chicago the only thing that really matters is the tax revenue generated from the jobs.
Guess what?
Illinois income tax revenue for FY Aug to date compared to last year is flat to down — in spite of the 30K, 40K jobs that have been claimed to have been created.
http://tax.illinois.gov/aboutidor/taxresearch/AugustFY2015RevenueReport.pdf
Look, if they claim that inflation is running somewhere around 2% then if wages are keeping pace should we not see at least a 2% increase in income tax revenue for the state? We should see probably even more because of tax bracket creep and instead the numbers are DOWN!
Seasonally adjusted job numbers..hahahaha just don’t look at the math used to get there,
Comment by anon Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:23 pm
This ad, and that garbage bag on the roadside in the final shot, are a fitting analogy for the campaign and possibly even our state right now.
Things look good on the surface, but the details are startling when you notice them.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:25 pm
anon, you posted that same argument yesterday and I debunked it and now you’ve posted it again.
Guess what? You’re banned. Buh-bye, doofus.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:26 pm
“That ad had to be shot some time ago. Wonder how he knew what the UE rate would be???” There’s a famous New York Times crossword puzzle from 1996, where one of the across clues is “Winner of next Tuesday’s election” Now how could a crossword puzzle author correctly predict the outcome of a Presidential election and then base a puzzle off of it? It’s very clever actually, the puzzle solves with both “CLINTON” and “BOBDOLE” as the answer that clue.
Comment by skeptic Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:29 pm
I really liked this ad. It is the rare ad that actually brought a smile to my face. I give it a solid A.
To me, a criticism of Quinn that carried some weight was an overall lack of leadership abilities.
This ad counters it extremely well. It does both “regular guy” and “strong leader.”
I also liked the acknowledgement at the end that we are not out of the woods yet, but we are going in the right direction.
This also is effective in light of the Rauner $18 watch, Carhartt coat, old van stuff. Quinn looks real. It doesn’t seem like an act. Rauner is a rich guy trying to be middle class. Quinn really seems middle class.
I’m not sure where this new Quinn is coming from. When I’ve been at events with him, he seems to be an odd combination of an aloof mope. He also seems uncomfortable and unapproachable. In this ad and the lawnmower ad, he seems down to earth — like you’d want to have a beer with the guy.
Comment by Gooner Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:47 pm
My husband’s reaction to Gov. Deal’s comment: “Watching a Republican do economics is like watching a goose do calculus. You know he’ll never get it right, but it’s so cute to see them try.”
Comment by Archiesmom Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:51 pm
The arguments about how the unemployment rate is calculated have been around forever. True, if someone stops looking for work, he is no longer “unemployed”.
But none of that has changed in the last year and it applies equally to all states. So Illinois is doing better in the last year on a statistic that is imperfect but still a standard used across the country.
Nothing funny is going on in Illinois with the calculation of the unemployment rate. Give Quinn credit or not, it’s a valid number with well-known limitations.
Comment by DuPage Dave Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:55 pm
13,800 jobs = 2.5% drop in unemloyment???? Really???
Comment by G.I.Joe Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 2:14 pm
I really like the ad… Helps Quinn maintain his “one of us” and “you know me” street cred… That being said, the path to victory is tearing Rauner down. Thats the reality. I hope the strong anti-Rauner ad continue in heavy rotation. Thats what will win this election for Quinn.
Comment by Voice of Reason Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 2:38 pm
==Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 1:26 pm:
anon, you posted that same argument yesterday and I debunked it and now you’ve posted it again.
Guess what? You’re banned. Buh-bye, doofus.===
If you can’t get it by a snifflin, sneezing, runny nose, achy headed moderator on a Thursday, you sure don’t double down on a Friday. Sayonara!
Comment by A guy... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 2:43 pm
Formerly known as:
“== Illinois has a higher labor participation rate than average. ==
Illinois also has a younger population than average. ”
True, but Illinois is not much younger than the national median. National median age is 37.2, Illinois is 36.6. Yes, it’s a difference but I would argue not a significant difference. Besides, since labor participation numbers are a percentage of population between 18-65, I’m not quite sure that it makes a difference that Illinois has a slightly younger population. (I could be wrong about that, but it’s Friday afternoon and I really don’t want to think it all the way through!)
Comment by VM Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 3:10 pm
“how do they make the house payment, car payment, etc.? Anyone know?”
Short term, low pay jobs for cash.
And debt. Lots of debt.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 3:18 pm
It amazes me how some people continuously spin a decrease in the unemployment rate as bad news.
The numbers are what they are. You can say that it’s still not good enough. But you can’t say that the rate isn’t better.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 3:20 pm
“You can say that it’s still not good enough.” That epiphany hit me watching the news from Canada. Every story was “Government announces [Some program]…[So and so] says it’s not good enough.” Life (and politics too) is about compromises. Sometimes not good enough is good enough.
Comment by skeptic Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 4:19 pm
== I’m not quite sure that it makes a difference that Illinois has a slightly younger population. ==
VM, that is most likely because I was not clear, not because it is Friday afternoon lol.
The age factor is far more relevant to the number of people dropping out of the labor force. We have a younger population than most states. We also have the 9th-smallest percentage of people in the 60 to 64 age group, or those approaching the traditional retirement age of 65.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 19, 14 @ 4:26 pm