A Current View on Unemployment
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nfortunately, we are all too well aware of the dire state of the economy which, consequently, has taken a firm toll on the employment rate. The number of unemployed Americans over the past year has risen by about 4.1 million, putting the latest national unemployment figure at 7.6 percent . In New York the rate is roughly at 7.4 percent. Sadly, the situation is also taking a grim toll on people’s level of confidence in the job market and their future prospects. Last month alone, a stunning 731,000 Americans stopped looking for work out of frustration. Although the Obama administration is calling for aggressive action to curb job losses and bolster the economy through both an economic stimulus package (a mix of tax cuts and new spending) and financial institution rescues, we are still faced with the current situation, which is predicted to get worse before better. There is no question that this financial crisis and its effects can be felt even within our own local communities. Many employees may have experienced layoffs and/ or major cuts in work hours. Individuals and
families may find themselves struggling to make ends meet and anxious about their immediate and long term welfare. ‘The pending question now is how we can best cope as individuals, families and a community to best overcome this challenging hurdle. However, perhaps adopting a different and more positive view on unemployment, might be a good start. Not always has unemployment yielded bad results. History and theorists have illustrated that sometimes unemployment acts as a ‘cleansing’ of unproductive forces and trends in the labor/market economy. Furthermore, employees may use this period to update, refine or learn new skills in accordance with the demands of the market. Continued on page 2
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or four decades the UJO and its affiliate organizations have engaged in active hands on work in services that deal with some the largest
The UJO is proud to report that in addition to addressing the day to day needs of the community such as organizing meetings and overseeing broad long term goals, our Board of Directors and in house staff are also ready to act immediately when crisis occurs. With foreclosures now at an all time high, we can say with assurance that this situation has risen to crisis level. In response to a community exacerbated by the strain of foreclosre, the UJO was able to demonstrate its ability to act in a moment’s notice to this crisis. On November 17th, our agency quickly organized an urgent meeting at Aishel Avram Nursing Home with national mortgage expert, Mr. Joel Gross. Through an effective Power Point presentation, Mr. Gross not only explained the roots of the housing crisis but also advised the community how to act in response. Furthermore, he also advised that those either threatened by or currently in foreclosure should take extreme precaution in avoiding foreclosure scams. Continued on page 11
THE CURRENT Mailing Address:
Christine Lawson Publications/Editor
issues facing the community right down Continued on page 3
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P.O. Box 4062 Forest Hills, NY 11375
Tel: (718) 643-9700 Email: clawson@unitedjewish.org