The loss of 36,000 jobs in February is better than expected but it's still miserable. 26,000 were lost in January, according to the government's revised figures. And the “underemployment” rate — including jobless workers who have given up looking for work and part-time workers who want full time jobs — rose from 16.5% in January to 16.8% in February, offsetting some of January's gains.
And don't blame it mostly on the weather. Although the surveys on which the report is based were done in mid-February during winter snowstorms in the east, the major impact of bad weather was on hours worked, not the numbers of jobs. If you had a job in February but were snowed in, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported you as having a job.
This complicates the president's final push for health care reform. With employers still shedding jobs and consumer confidence down, Americans are worried first and foremost about paying their bills. Because most people aren't aware of how much of their paychecks are being eaten up by rising health care costs, but can easily be persuaded they'll be paying more to cover those who don't have health insurance under any new health plan, the continuing bad news on the jobs front makes it harder for the president to make his health-care sale.
The bad news on jobs also allows economic illiterates (and scoundrels who know better) to continue to claim the stimulus is failing and what's needed is less government rather than more, including not only a smaller “jobs bill” but less or no health care reform.
In politics as in economics and love, timing is everything. Obama can't wait much longer if he wants to convince wavering and worried conservative Democrats to join him in a last ditch 51-vote reconciliation measure to get health care through the Senate. We're already in the gravitational pull of November's mid-term elections. But the economy is taking a longer time to turn around than anyone expected, and telling Americans the jobs numbers are getting worse more slowly isn't exactly reassuring.
One small political consolation is the worst job numbers continue to be on the coasts and the old rust belt where Democrats are relatively safer, and the best numbers in the midwest and mountain states and south where Democrats are weakest. So at least Blue Dog Democrats who are under the most pressure from their conservative constituents on health care aren't grappling with the biggest job losses.
Another is that all across the nation, the people being hit worst by this continuing jobs recession/depression are poor and the lower-middle class who Republicans are trying to court. They're in greatest danger of losing health care coverage if they haven't lost it already, and in greatest need for subsidies to allow them and their families to afford it. Wavering and worried congressional Dems should be reaching out to them.
Americans desperately need health care reform. They also desperately need jobs. Even if it's difficult for many to make the connection, it's still possible for the nation to try to do two important things at the same time. We need a big jobs bill — including especially extended unemployment insurance, aid to hard-hit states and cities — and we need health care reform. The sooner we do the former and get the economy moving into positive job numbers again, the more quickly and easily we can afford the latter. The big question is whether the president can make the case.
Cross-posted from RobertReich.org
President Barack Obama says he will have his health care bill passed by the House before he leaves for Australia on March 18th. Nobody outside the White House believes that is going to happen. Next week’s blown deadline will join a crowded graveyard of past deadlines including July, August, and September. But blown deadlines are not the only reoccurring storyline from this health care debate. President George Bush economic adviser Keith Hennessey has paired thirteen 2009 health care headlines with thirteen 2010 headlines. See if you can tell which are from this year and which are from last year:
Politico: President Obama takes reform on the road
AP: Obama takes health care pitch to people—again
Bloomberg: Obama Set to Fight ‘Uphill Battle’ on Health Bill
Bloomberg: Obama to Appeal to Public on Health Care as Senate Struggles
AP: Obama’s health care pitch to Democrats: Trust me
AP: Obama makes last-minute appeal to Democrats for health care votes
AP: Obama to appeal for public support on health care
AP: Obama appeals for health care votes
CSM: To pass healthcare reform, Democrats may go it alone
CNN: Democrats May Pass Health Reform without GOP Support
NYT: Obama Takes Health Care Deadline to Democrats
AFP: Deadline looming, Obama urges health care action
Boston Globe: Obama steps up health care pressure
Politico: President Obama steps up health care push
AFP: Obama presents make-or-break health reform plan
NPR: For Obama, Health Care Overhaul Is Make-Or-Break
AP: Top Dems looking to Obama for health care momentum
Reuters: Obama tries to regain momentum in healthcare debate
Reuters: Obama seeks momentum, funds for Senate allies
Reuters: Obama team tries to regain momentum on healthcare
CBS: Obama’s Health Care Push: The Race is On
WaPo: Obama Health Care Push Resumes This Week
AP: Obama turns up the heat for health care overhaul
AP: Obama expands health care push
HuffPo: White House, Dems, Plan For Make-Or-Break Summit
Bloomberg: Obama Sets ‘Make-or-Break’ Deadline on Health Care
Tags: acne, balm, constitution, cream, duration, entity stylishness, healthy, mar treatment, most artistically dolour, physic
Leroy Simpson