What are they going to do about unemployment?

We tried that kind of protectionism with the Auto industry, the outcome was the US auto industry making terrible cars that we didn't want. On the other hand, now that car companies in America are getting the word out that they actually listened, we're seeing better cars made in the US. We still have a lot of factories here in the US, but most Americans don't notice their products because most of them don't manufacture things priced for Wal-Mart and other "big boxes". Things priced for people in the lower income levels are made in other countries because manufacturers can't make them in the US then sell them for that low a price. Should the lower classes not be able to afford anything just so we can tell manufacturers to produce more using US labor?

Yes you have a point, but my question was - what is either candidate planning to do to curb unemployment and give us medium to low income wager earners a job?

You are totally correct. Jobs are created by product production. Since we import most everything we have, all we are doing is putting other countries to work and not ourselves. Yes, the pres can only do so much but they can stop imports and put American to work making the same thing. Let other countries import from USA for a change. He can stop allowing companies to hire illegal aliens to do that same job at 10 times less pay. That'd be a fanstastic start of a LOT of jobs! Throw in that local governments do the same and a LOT more jobs could be created!

Been in your shoes more times than I care to have to remember. I know what you are going through. I had my husband on Monster.com for 5 years and never found a single job. He finally had to go out of state to get a job (we're in CA)

Monster is aweful. Did you know that job headhunters will submit the same resume in triplicate. Your resume is lost. Try to find a position by making personal contact. Find a company that you would like to work for and let them know that you are interested in their business. After creating a relationship with them - get them to ask you for a job.

Zydecokitten - you are right about those customer service jobs being our of the contry. Hewlett Packard has theirs in India. I called with a service problem on my PC and we went on for 3 hours! While waiting for the PC to do what it was supposed to do, we chatted and the guy said he was in INdia. Why wasn't that job here in USA? HE said cause it is cheaper to have it out of USA. You are totally right - those kinds should be brought back here.

If a president was serious about improving jobs for Americans, he would vigorously promote free trade to expand trading across the world thus giving more jobs to americans. Free trade has its problems (ie US jobs going abroad) but it has its considerable benefits as well as it can generate much new business and hence new jobs. In the 30s, the world leaders reacted to difficult times by putting up ever higher and higher tarriffs, but the only outcome of these was to deepen the depression even further. Now that America is once again in economic trouble, we should learn from history and try to widen and deepen free trade, and urgently restart the Doha round that has failed recently. I am not a McCain supporter, but to be fair to him, he has been outspoken in his support of free trade, a courageous stance in view of the opposition to it from workers in the key rustbelt states.

Um ... how about McDonalds?

No fast food. That was my decision. I don't want him tempted spend his paycheck at work and as he discovered food late he's still making up for it.

There's never much of a choice for teens - fast food or retail. That's the way it's always been.

Hadn't heard that but at least it is something hopeful!

I still don't see any jobs - okay a few if you are qualified to build a road or bridge, but what about the rest of us? and since that is alot of hard physical labor, it won't do much for unemployed women And extending unemployment, okay fine for short term intermission, but what's the point if he doesnt' have any jobs to give the people when they run the term of their unemployment? They raise minimum wage, but so what if there are no jobs to offer it in the first place? I mean, I don't see McDonalds hiring many if mini wage goes up - odds are they will just lay some off, raise the wage for those left and the ones left will have to work twice as hard, and customers will have to wait twice as long. A second economic incentive package, if like the first one...won't do muhc. I got $600. It paid for my 2 cars yearly registration. Then it was gone. Yes, it helped me a little bit, but I don't see it helped the economy much. I folowed that quite closely and many just saved it, others paid things like rent or on a credit card balance. Seldom did I hear of any of it going back into the economy. Just wasn't enough to make a difference. ANd since in 2009 when we file 1040's, if we get a refund, we have to deduct that $600 from what is owed to us, so where has it helped the economy and why would another one help us?

It's not that the women are dainty it is that the men won't hire a woman for that kind of job. Throw in the fact, I have been in construction for 30 years - it dont' take that many "employees" to do things. Everyone thinks a row of 20 track homes will employee an army of workers - it doesn't. 2-3 plumbers can plumb all 20 houses in about a week. SAme with the rest of the trades. Throw in that the women are the ones that are often working mothers - they are limited as to time - can't get the kids to school until 7:30 earliest but construction jobs start at 7 and there is comute time.. and they get off after the kids get out of school so throw in the cost of day care if they can find it. for after school, and add the tax increase you are talking about and welfare would pay them more. And still - okay a few go back to work building roads and bridges - there are so many more unemployed ...what about the rest of them? And once the roads are built, the workers are back in the unemployment line. IN construction, they don't keep you around. When the job is done, so are you. Yes, some hire back when they get new work, but until then you are on unemployment. I know what I'm talking about - my family has had to live like this for 30 years following construction jobs. My husband has been unemployed for 10 years - and had to go out of state to get a job. I can't follow cause I have to do day care for my 2 grand children (for free) cause neither of my kids can afford day care at minimumy $200 a week...which would be $800 a month. that's half their paychecks. No offense, but building a few bridges and roads and raising taxes is not going to solve the unemployment problem. ANd through in the older people - a construction style job is not going to hire a 50 year old man to go shovel gravel. There are "legal"ways around age descrimination. I have seen them in action.

The first "economic stimulus package" was a total joke, and I completely agree that it did so little for the economy it might as well have done nothing. The package that the Republicans are opposing won't put $600 in your pocket, it will put people to work - yes, building roads and bridges, and doing other work that needs doing. I know plenty of women who would happily shovel gravel and tar, and are fully capable of doing that, but even if you believe that women are too dainty to do manual labor there are many other support jobs that will need filling. Of course, funding for those jobs would have to come from tax increases of one sort or another - but the salaries paid with those funds would be taxed, would allow people to pay their rents and mortgage payments, get them off food stamps, allow them to buy things and buying things is what stimulates the economy. That was supposed to be the result of the economic stimulus package that did get passed - but with the economy as bad as it is, few people took their share of the pie and bought a Wii - they paid a bill.

YOu're right there. THing is, very few of those people in the congress and house and all have never had to work for a living and the few that have, its been so long ago, they forgot how it was!

A candidate would sure get more votes if they'd tell what they are going to do instead of just throwing out a bunch of words. I watched Obama with Bill O'Reilly and boy he can slather on the words, but I didn't get a thing out of what he said! And McCain hasn't done anything like that yet (or at least I haven't seen it) , so I haven't heard from him.

No it isn't just the gov't problem, but like you said - opportunity and chance - those are the things that are against us and we have no control over. Just going out and meeting people isn't going to get you a job. When I was looking, I knew tons of people and most with good jobs, own businesses etc - and they all knew I was unemployed, had kids to support and needed a job and not one of the offered me a job. Used to be what you knew, then in the 80's changed to who you knew. In the 90's it was how little you would work for, now in the "new" millenium, it's about how much you "multi-task" and for how small a salary. Multi-tasking is just a buzz word that means, do the job of 3 people for the salary of one.