The middle and working-classes have been hammered by the Great Recession and no industry has taken it more on the chin than construction. Nationally, unemployment fell to 9.7% in January, but in construction it jumped to 24.7% from 18.7% in October. Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala
Decent reporting looking at a particularly hard hit sector. Good numbers, but not a lot of context (how it compares to other industries) and little discussion of future prospects.
It doesn't say anything we don't know. Of course construction workers are suffering. Mortgage failures are what took us down and lack of loans continues. But someday building will begin again, so construction workers aren't dead. I don't care for the tone of the article which is a human interest piece but doesn't tell you much about the recession. For several years now they have been bringing in workers from out of town to do construction jobs in my small city to keep labor costs down. I know because the local union guys picket. That is a foundational context for this situation, but never mentioned.
The link to photos from 59 is interesting. My first thought was, at the employment office you see the other people in the same boat. Now, we see one another walking our dogs at midday. Now there's something to talk about. The isolated unemployed who can only submit claims online or to an automated phone line, and who feel isolated and abandoned.
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