In mid-February, 807 people lined up outside the Tacoma Dome to test for a single meter reader job. The long line was reminiscent of a bygone era, known only to us through history books.
The Department of Labor reported unemployment for Tacoma is now at 9.1%. But if you had your own business, quit your job, worked part-time, or didnt earn enough during a defined period before your job ended, then your state may deny you benefits and you will not be counted. The AFL-CIO estimated real national unemployment to be 13.5%.
The corporate media hurls sensationalizing and insulting strategies at us night after night with topics like a list of recession-proof jobs, ideas for a second job, what movies to see during the recession, and how to save money on this or that.
In reality, how are you supposed to live without a job? How are you supposed to pay the rent or mortgage, feed your family, and fuel your car?
Being jobless means lacking social contact as well as purpose for many hours of the day, which can lead to a lack of self-esteem, mental stress, illness, and of course the inability to pay bills and purchase both necessities and luxuries.
When times get tough, as they are now, a family can be in real trouble. If you work part-time and less than a certain amount of hours in a work period, then you are ineligible for unemployment in nearly half the states.
Julie Wiesen, director of Graham South Hill FISH Food Bank in Pierce County, said: A lot of people are losing their houses or are very close to it. A lot of people are going hungry. Tacoma food banks reported an increase of 25% over the last three to four months, and half of those never even used a food bank before.
We demand a massive jobs program to ensure that every person has a job. Under capitalism, how else can we survive?