11 Clear Signs That The U.S. Economy Is Headed Into The Toilet

The U.S. Economy Is Headed Into The ToiletThe vast majority of the talking heads on television are still speaking of the current economic collapse as if it is a temporary “recession” that will soon be over.  So far, the vast majority of the American people seem to believe this as well, although for many Americans there is a very deep gnawing in the pit of their stomachs that is telling them that there is something very, very wrong this time around.  The truth is that the foundations of the U.S. economy have been destroyed by an orgy of government, corporate and individual debt that has gone on for decades.  It was the greatest party in the history of the world, but now the party is over.  The following are 11 signs from just this past month that show that the U.S. economy is headed into the toilet and will not be recovering….

#1) When even Wal-Mart is closing stores you know things are bad.  Wal-Mart announced on Monday that it will close 10 money-losing Sam’s Club stores and will cut 1,500 jobs in order to reduce costs.  So if even Wal-Mart has to shut down stores, what chance do other retailers have?

#2) Americans are going broke at a staggering pace.  1.41 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009 – a 32 percent increase over 2008.

#3) American workers are working harder than ever and yet making less.  After adjusting for inflation, pay for production and non-supervisory workers (80 percent of the private workforce) is 9% lower than it was in 1973.  But those Americans who do still have jobs are the fortunate ones.

#4) Unemployment is absolutely exploding all over the United States.  Minority groups have been hit particularly hard.  For example, unemployment on many U.S. Indian reservations is over 80 percent.

#5) Unfortunately the employment situation is showing no signs of turning around.  December was actually the worst month for U.S. unemployment since the so-called “Great Recession” began.

#6) So just how bad are things when compared to past recessions?  During the 2001 recession, the U.S. economy lost 2% of its jobs and it took four years to get them back. This time the U.S. economy has lost more than 5% of its jobs and there is no sign that the bleeding of jobs will stop any time soon.

#7) Can you imagine trying to get your first job in this economic climate?  Our young men and women either can’t get work or have given up on work altogether.  The percentage of Americans 16 to 24 who have jobs is 13 percent lower than ten years ago.

#8) So where did all the jobs go?  Over the past few decades we have allowed the corporate giants to ship mountains of American jobs overseas, and there are signs that this trend is only going to get worse.  In fact, Princeton University economist Alan S. Blinder estimates that 22% to 29% of all current U.S. jobs will be offshorable within two decades.  So get ready for even more of our jobs to be shipped off to Mexico, China and India.

#9) All of these job losses are leading to defaults on mortgages.  Over the past couple of years we have seen the American Dream in reverse.  According to a report that was just released, delinquent home loans at government-controlled mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac surged 20 percent from July through September.

#10) But that is nothing compared to what is coming.  A massive “second wave” of mortgage defaults is getting ready to hit the U.S. economy starting in 2010.  In fact, this “second wave” is so frightening that even 60 Minutes is reporting on it

#11) Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve has announced that it made a record profit of $46.1 billion in 2009.  Apparently during this economic crisis it is a very good time to be a bankster.

America: Land Of The Unemployed – 3 Unemployment Charts That Will Absolutely Shock You

UnemploymentWith the unprecedented spending by the U.S. government over the past year and a half, shouldn’t we at least see some jobs being produced by now? After all, if we are putting our children and grandchildren into perpetual debt from which they will never emerge, shouldn’t we at least be able to put American workers back to work? Unfortunately, as you will see from the charts in this article, that is most definitely not the case. In fact, unemployment is reaching levels in the U.S. that have not been seen for decades. The high paying manufacturing and construction jobs that were the bedrock for the American middle class for decades have disappeared and they are simply not coming back.

Despite the reckless spending of the U.S. government, the U.S. economy continues to bleed jobs month after month.  In fact, December was the worst month for U.S. unemployment since the “Great Recession” began.  The U.S. labor force contracted by 661,000 in December.  The number that actually “lost” their jobs in December was much smaller than this.  The 661,000 number includes thousands upon thousands of American workers that have given up on employment and have simply dropped out of the system. The broader U6 measure of unemployment in the United States rose to 17.3 percent in December.  That is staggering.

In fact, the civilian participation rate in the employment pool has nosedived and has now reached levels not seen since the recession of the early 80s…..

Unemployment

In particular, the construction industry has been hit particularly hard.  As you can see from the chart below, construction employment boomed during the years of the housing bubble, but the bursting of the housing bubble has been absolutely catastrophic for construction employment….

Construction Employment

But not only have millions of people lost their jobs, they also can’t find jobs once they start looking for work.  The average duration of unemployment is already at record levels and it is shooting through the roof….

Duration Of Unemployment

It is really easy to tell someone to “go get a job”, but in many areas of the United States there simply are NO jobs.

In fact, there have been reports of people literally getting down on their knees and begging for a job at a city dump in Florida.  In other areas of the U.S., hundreds of people line up to apply for fast food jobs.

Without jobs or even the hope for a job, many families are now existing on the edge of survival.  Millions of men and women would be more than willing to work if something was available.

But nothing is available.

All of their jobs have been shipped off to Mexico, China and India.

For the last several decades the politicians in Washington D.C. have sold out U.S. workers and have sold out the U.S. economy and now the day of reckoning is here.

Unfortunately, as is too often the case, it is the working man that is feeling the pain first.

But eventually we will all feel the economic pain.

The great American economic empire is crumbling and the fall will be very great.

The economic despair that is coming in the years ahead is going to be so great that there are no words to even describe it.

You better get ready.