![Obama and the Economy in Numbers](http://townsquare.media/site/656/files/2017/01/Minimum-wage-MacDonalds-Getty-Images-By-David-McNew.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Obama and the Economy in Numbers
The economy is what drives many of our citizen’s emotions when evaluating our elected officials and especially the President. We are at the end of President Obama’s administration so let us review the economy via numbers under President Obama.
During President Obama’s two administrations according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the number of employed Americans increased by 9.9 million people. Not a bad number but what lies underneath that number? Under those same two terms of President Obama 14.6 million Americans left the labor work force, this is how the government determines the Labor Workforce participation rate. According to our government if you have not held a job or looked for a job in the last 4 weeks you are considered as leaving the workforce. How you leave the work force without winning the lottery if you are of working age I do not know, but that is left for another article.
Yes it is important for the private sector to create jobs but we must also consider the types of jobs, specifically minimum wage, created under an administration’s policies and also I believe certainly the Labor Participation Rate should be considered to make a fair judgement. Would you agree?
The more people who are of working age and not working is extremely important to the health of our country and our economy. These people who have left the workforce and are not independently wealthy still need to be housed, feed and given some level of health insurance.
You can create 40 million jobs, which would be considered unbelievable under any Presidents administration, but if there are 60 million American citizens of working age who are not working that certainly must be a factor when reviewing a Presidents legacy concerning the economy
Also remember under President Obama’s administrations the number of Americans on food stamps has risen, the number of people of taxpayer funded healthcare has increased and the number of Americans on disability has increased substantially.
I want to be fair when judging any President’s administration but we also must be fair to the American people.
By the way during President Obama’s time in office, women, minorities, and veterans have also left the work force. This economy appeared to discriminate against no group of people and effected us all.
The Live with Renk Show airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon. To let me know your thoughts during the show please call (269) 441-9595
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