Are More Jobs Coming?

The economic stimulus package that is expected to create nearly 4 million jobs has been approved by President Obama. Although many Americans are optimistic about the next four years, we want to know how you feel about the immediate future of the job market.

poll by twiigs.com

What are your thoughts about the millions of jobs the stimulus package is expected to create? Leave your comments in the section below.

Comments

[Darrel]

The Stimulus Package has doubled the deficit and causes terrific headaches for HR people and puts the money in all the wrong places. It is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars which will have to be repaid by our grandchildren.

[David Preston]

I expect that the DOW will drop to around $3,500 to $3,000 within the next two years. I expect that tax increases are going to prevent a lot of jobs from being created and more jobs to be terminated. The government cannot prevent employers from shipping jobs overseas. The way to keep jobs in the United States is to make the US attractive to employers with lower taxes. Our government does not understand that.

[john Yount]

Obama,just does not get. All the infrastructure projects in the world does not great jobs or work. What needs to happend is to put the majority of the money into small business and privated construction projects.

Next he needs to get the banks loan money at a rate that business can afford.

Until his administration gets this concept, it's only going to get worse.

[Mark Zapel]

This "porkulus package" is nothing but a sick joke!

There is no money going to small business -
but the federal vault is wide open to AIG, Fanny Mae
and Freddie Mac and the big banks who created this
financial disaster!
In 2010 we need to throw all these fools out of
Washington and make them actually work for a living!

[Doug Carlisle]

I want to believe that things will work out.

[Lee Fossett]

From what I've read about the stimulus package, it contains a plethora of social welfare spending issues, and really very little to stimulate job creation. That leaves job creation exactly where it has always been, in the hands of America's small businesses. We small business owners need to get to work and we also need to vote the politicians that are obstructing us and calling it financial aid out of office at the next election.

[Linda]

Maybe some construction jobs--but what happens when the work is done--and what will be the pay/benefits be/determined? are the jobs just going to be some worthless $8.00/hr jobs or highpaying salaries with benefits? whatever way you look at it, there will not be jobs for everyone.

I just hope that the unemployment benefits keep being exteneded indefinitely to help people

[Rachel L. Perry]

I fear that "politics as usual" will derail or slow down the job stimulus package. With Republicans generally in opposition they are setting a bad example. They appear to be sitting around waiting for things to fail, instead of trying their best to see that their base of voters benefit from the package. The governor of Louisiana appears to be trying to make a name for himself by opposing the stimuls package. Is he actually going to refuse stimulus funds for one of the poorest states in the nation? Living in Louisiana he may not be worried about volcano monitoring, but living in Washington State, as I do, it is a concern that is "too close" to home. Monitoring has the potential of saving many hundreds of lives in this and other states. "Levetating" trains. Where did he get this terminology? Is he trying to scare people by associating a plan to ELEVATE trains with the "supernatural." Raising trains off the level passenger vehicles and semi-truck inhabit has a very high potential to save lives, minimize delays, and lower costs of rail and road traffic.

Stop being obstructive, and do your best to help the people who voted you into office by seeing that the greatest benefit goes to the greatest number people spread over the entire nation and across class boundaries.

[mary]

I don't think the plan was well thought out! I believe is was mostly wishful thinking. Hope I'm wrong.

[ROCKEAL LOVE]

I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE MOVE OF GOD IN OUR ECONOMY TODAY. THE LORD KEEPS ON MAKING AWAY WHEN MOST WHO COUNT ON THEIR OWN ABILITY ARE FAILING BIG TIME. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR EXPRESS SERVICES. THANK YOU AGAIN.
ROCKEAL LOVE MOBILE ALABAMA AIRPORT OFFICE

[Erica]

I agree with David Preston and John Y (above). I believe that due to the tax increases and the burdens that are being put on small and medium sized businesses, more jobs will continue to be lost and shipped overseas (or businesses will just go out of business altogether). I don't see much being done about helping employers continue to be able to afford to do business in the US, and therefore grow their workforce. Unfortunately, it seems like the focus is on the wrong areas. I believe in helping the folks who are out of work - but how does the government expect them to find other work - what is the government doing to help create more jobs, and not just that, make it feasible for small/medium businesses to survive.

[Joe Norman]

Obama and Congress passed a Porkulous Bill and not a stimulous bill. This is only going to make our economy and unemployment levels worse. He has no idea how to create jobs or who does that. No government can fix the national economy by spending more money and rewarding failure. if he wants to help the economy, he needs to cut the capital gains tax and offer tax cuts to those who actually pay taxes rather than send money to those who pay no taxes.

Our country is fast becoming a Socialist nation and it breaks my heart to see it happening. This is America and capitalism and liberty are under assault as never before. Wake up America!

[Scott Dudgeon]

It is hard to know if the economic stimulus package will do anything to get this economy rolling. Too many special interest companies like AIG are needing large amounts of bail out money just to keep operating. If that money was returned to the American Taxpayer, perhaps something would happen.
It is going to take a lot to get the average American to feel good enough to attempt to purchase large ticket items that would get things going. The housing crisis, automotive crisis, and lack of decent paying jobs for everyone that wants to work is going to keep everyone wondering whethere they can even keep a roof over themselves much less purchase non essential products.

[Carol Mullin]

I think there is both good and bad in the stimulus package. But I also think we need to look at the bigger picture and not just parrot what we get from the media. First, the people who complain about the cost of the package ignore the alternatives: what would they propose instead? Doing nothing would end up costing more than the current proposals, and we have already seen that just providing tax cuts for businesses has created and exaccerbated the problems and so will not provide the solutions. Second, those who think the projects being started are short term ignore the need to propel the economy by getting people to spend money to create an ongoing demand for products, which will create more jobs and start an upward economic spiral. This happens when money goes into the hands of those who don't have it - such as the unemployed. Increasing "supply" by helping businesses does not create jobs; increasing "demand" has already been shown to work, for example, in states that raised their minimum wage over federal levels. No one seems to be looking at those sucesses.

My biggest concern is that the best paying jobs being targeted by the package are in construction and thus are primarily for men. Although there will be some need for accounting and payroll clerks as a result, the other parts of the package that help women, such as business and medical professionals, will take longer to get geared up. Most women work because they have to support themselves and/or their families, not for providing supplemental extras. Women who head households are particularly vulnerable to being left behind; yes, they might be able to get better health care for their children (which I do not minimize)but that does not provide the jobs they need.

[Joseph]

Throwing money at the problem will do nothing. For far to long the market has been focued on credit. When one is employed they earn captial, and with this capital one can spend it to provide for needs/wants, but when one lives off of credit everything will catch up with them. This is bound to happen when you are spending more in credit then you can make in captial. I hate to say it, but until this economy allows these companies, and some of these banks to fail there will not be a turn around. At least that is how I see it. Washington D.C. is just playing a game of "The Emperor's New Clothes". The American people understand that they are all naked!

[Kate]

Most comments here are correct. The "stimulus bill" is nothing of the sort. Tax cuts for business and people are the answer, but we're not going to get it. The bill really serves two purposes, paying back those who helped get Obama elected and creating more government jobs and presumably more votes for democrats in the election. Any jobs created will be government/tax payer funded. That hurts the economy every time.

Then they are going to add insult to injury and cram the cap and trade carbon emissions down our throats. It will make energy more expensive and further handicap US firms.

This has to be deliberate, our economy is being destroyed.

[Thomas L. Rulon]

This economic crisis was built on corporate greed. The republican party's main constituency is the corporate fat cat and old money elitists. "W" said it himself, while addressing the attendees of a jillion dollar per plate fundraiser prior to the last election, and I quote, "You are my base." which sums up the GOP's philosophy that what is good for business is good for America. This could be be a true statement provided the business community acts in a responsible manner toward America. Sadly, that has proven time and time again NOT to be the case. In a best case scenario, the bottom line is the sole concern of corporations. In worst case, We see many occurrences of greed driven execs absconding with billions of other peoples dollars. And receiving little or no penalties. Wise up people! Everyday ordinary Americans will need to pull together and help each other every day in order for this nation's survival to remain a viable possibility. Greed got us here, and the "Me first" mentality has to go. Americans helping Americans is what allowed this country to survive the age of the robber barons and the great depression. We all need to revive that spirit.

[Paying Attention!]

The next time you hear a politician use the
word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the 'politicians' spending
YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it's releases.

A.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C..
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age..

D.
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet..

E.
A billion dollars ago was only
8 hours and 20 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain...
let's take a look at New Orleans ....
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator,
Mary Landrieu (D)
is presently asking Congress for
250 BILLION DOLLARS
to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number...
what does it mean?

A.
Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans
(every man, woman, and child)
you each get $516,528.

B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C.
Or... if you are a family of four...
your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D. C

Are all your calculators broken??

Yep, this is better than enriching the " corporate FAT CAT". I'm so glad Obama got elected so we could all really learn how to add. Don't forget to apologize to your kids when you kiss them good night.

[Michael]

Obama's "stimulus" bill is loaded with pork-barrel spending, and was rushed through Congress so fast that they even admit they were unable to read it all before passing it.

It will not help our economy, I guarantee you that. Nothing this socialist/marxist president accomplishes will be of any help to our country.

Until Americans regain the ability to earn their own money and quit asking for handouts from the government, this downward spiral will continue.

[Ken B]

Well let's see. W had eight years. He destroyed the economy. Now people all want to say that Mr. Obama is not going to do what the last guy did to generate jobs. Yes the deficit will go up in the immediate future but so will the number of jobs.
Would you prefer the Great Depression Part II? I thought not.

No money circulating and no jobs being created is how we all got to this great moment in history. No jobs means you cannot pay your mortgage and feed your family. Pick one.

W is a true republican, he ran up a deficit and then leaves it for the next guy to deal with. Iraq will, eventually, be seen to be the quagmire and Vietnam of this generation. An unwinnable something for nothing. Remember combat pay is tax free, so that money is not circulating back here. How is that for throwing money at a problem with nothing to show for it at the end.

If you want to point fingers look no futher than the gas pumps. $5/gallon gasoline was a reality not too long ago. How did that come to be? greed, greed. Hard to get to an $8.00/hr job when gasoline costs more than you will make. Also makes people less likely to hire more people. Who were the people who ran up fuel prices? Airlines and transport companies bought fuel futures in an effort to keep prices reasonable. What could the little guy do? Something to think about...

[Barb]

I'm so sick about the prospects of this economy and this nation that I don't know what to do. I don't ever remember being this depressed. If you had personal credit card debt of $25,000.00, would you take the advice of someone who told you to open 4 more credit cards and max those out as well? This will never work! This will never work! This will never work!

[Patrick H (Balt- DC)]

If Iraq is this generations Vietnam, then Barack Obama is this generations Jimmy Carter. There is enough blame to go around, both parties, Clinton, Bush everybody had "skin in the game". I dont think this plan will work. I mean a high speed rail line from LA to Las Vegas?? California farmers are and have been facing a drought. Why not build several desalination plants?? Long term jobs and lower crop prices makes too much sense I guess.

[melissa z]

i feel that the stimulus package will only help a few.it will take along time for our country to see changes made to make it better.people have lost everything they worked for to gain back what they had.people are going to be walking the streets soon because there just isn't enough money for everyone to servive on.
thank you for taking my message tonite.

sincerely melissa z.

[Blue Skies Ahead :)]

I have to say, give the guy a chance. What he is doing can not possibly be worst than sending our young men on suicide missions could it?

The stimulus packaga has alot of good things in there regarding education, road construction, and tax breaks for those of us in the less than $250,000 a year bracket.

As HR professionals we are worried about having to do more with less. But think a little bit about the things he's proposing. Isn't it the bad decisions of big corporations why he's doing some of what he's doing - to protect the little man. By the way in some ways if we are good at what we do it can mean job security.

[Simmering]

I agree with Ken B. and Carol M. W spent eight years putting us into this whole mess and as always when a democrat gets into the "seat" people want immediate results. Well that doesn't happen... I am questioning however where are the jobs going to come for women? I'm not seeing them in any of the plans. Maybe (and I say maybe because I question this also) the government can't stop jobs being sent overseas, but how about substantially taxing those companies for doing this? I doubt this is being done or they would not be sending jobs overseas. I believe this is one of our biggest problems. The jobs we need are being sent overseas. To save businesses money? The only thing all this does is make the CEO's in this country fatter and create more greed. I'm tired of supporting these CEO's greed.