Scott wrote:"Oh well if you're feeling depressed, think of it this way: 93.8% of American workers have jobs!"

The 6% employment figure is misleading. In actuality it is between 9 and 12%. The unemployment number that you point to is onlt the percentage of americans actively seeking jobs. When you look at either
1) The number of jobs shed by the economy vs the number gained
2) public survey data

the number jumps quite a bit.

What is hapening is that folks are giving up looking for jobs.

Also, one should note, that a lot of 'marginal' workers have been pushed out of service-industry jobs to be replaced by former proffessionals. Judy the 16yr old, and Rudolph the 60-year-old part-timer are bounced to the curb in favor of Jim the former software Engineer.

Also one should not that a lot of the jobs gained in this country are now no-benefits temp positions.

And of course, if you look by sector, tech unemployment rates are spectacular, so are heavy industry (which is in the worst decline since the great depression).

Davin L.