Monday, May 26, 2014

Human Rights and Mexico Revisited

Across the southern border of Texas, between 700,000 and 1 million U.S. citizens lived in Mexico and around 20 million U.S. tourists visited Mexico in 2012. In addition, the value of U.S.-based transnational corporations’ direct investment in Mexico’s economy exceeded $101 billion in 2012.

Yet according to a 2014 Human Rights Watch [HRW] report, Mexico is apparently still a country where the human rights of Mexican citizens have been violated in recent years. As the 2014 HRW report on Mexico observed:

“Upon taking office in December 2012, [Mexican] President Enrique Peña Nieto acknowledged that the `war on drugs’ launched by predecessor Felipe Calderón had led to serious abuses by the security forces. In early 2013, the administration said that more than 26,000 people had been reported disappeared or missing since 2007…

“Yet the government has made little progress in prosecuting widespread killings, enforced disappearances, and torture committed by soldiers and police in the course of efforts to combat organized crime, including during Peña Nieto’s tenure….

“…Members of all security force branches continue to carry out disappearances during the Peña Nieto administration, in some cases collaborating directly with criminal groups. In June 2013, Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) said it was investigating 2,443 disappearances in which it had found evidence of the involvement of state agents.

“…Families of the disappeared may lose access to basic social services that are tied to the victim’s employment, such as child care…

“Mexico has relied heavily on the military to fight drug-related violence and organized crime, leading to widespread human rights violations. From December 2006 to mid-September 2013, the CNDH received 8,150 complaints of abuse by the army, and issued reports on 116 cases in which it found that army personnel had committed serious human rights violations.

“The soldiers who commit these abuses are virtually never brought to justice, largely because such cases continue to be investigated and prosecuted in the military justice system, which lacks independence and transparency…

“Torture is widely practiced in Mexico to obtain forced confessions and extract information. It is most frequently applied in the period between when victims are arbitrarily detained and when they are handed to prosecutors, when they are often held incommunicado at military bases or other illegal detention sites. Common tactics include beatings, waterboarding, electric shocks, and sexual torture. Many judges continue to accept confessions obtained through torture, despite the constitutional prohibition of such evidence.

“…Between January and September 2013, the National Human Rights Commission received more than 860 complaints of torture or cruel or inhuman treatment by federal officials…

“Prisons are overpopulated, unhygienic, and fail to provide basic security for most inmates. Prisoners who accuse guards or inmates of attacks or other abuses have no effective system to seek redress.

“Approximately 65 percent of prisons are controlled by organized crime, and corruption and violence are rampant, according to the CNDH. Some 108 inmates had died in 2013, as of November….

“…At least 85 journalists were killed between 2000 and August 2013, and 20 more were disappeared between 2005 and April 2013, according to the CNDH….

“Mexican laws do not adequately protect women and girls against domestic violence and sexual violence. Some provisions, including those that make the severity of punishments for some sexual offenses contingent on the `chastity’ of the victim, contradict international standards. Women and girls who have suffered these types of human rights violations generally do not report them to authorities, while those who do generally face suspicion, apathy, and disrespect….

“Hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants pass through Mexico each year and many are subjected to grave abuses en route—such as disappearances and sexual violence—at the hands of organized crime, migration authorities, and security forces. Authorities have not taken adequate steps to protect migrants, or to investigate and prosecute those who abuse them…The staff of migrant shelters face threats and harassment from criminal groups and officials, yet the government has failed to implement protective measures granted to these centers by national and international human rights bodies. At least three migrant centers were forced to close or saw staff forced to flee in 2013…

“…Independent unions are often blocked from entering negotiations with management, while workers who seek to form independent unions risk losing their jobs...Human rights defenders and activists continue to suffer harassment and attacks…In many cases, there is evidence—including witness testimony or traced cell phones—that state agents are involved in aggressions against human rights defenders…

“The United States has allocated over US$2 billion in aid to Mexico through the Merida Initiative, an aid package agreed upon in 2007 without a year cap, to help Mexico combat organized crime. Fifteen percent of select portions of the assistance can be disbursed only after the US secretary of state reports that the Mexican government is meeting human rights requirements.

“However, the impact of these requirements has been undermined by the fact the US State Department has repeatedly reported to the US Congress that they are being met, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, often citing vague and incomplete progress towards meeting the requirements, leading Congress to release the funds.


“The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions conducted a fact-finding mission to Mexico in April-May 2013, and stated that extrajudicial executions by security forces were widespread and often occurred without accountability…”

Friday, May 16, 2014

Fall River, Massachusetts "Not Seasonally Adjusted" Jobless Rate Increased To 14.7 Percent In March 2014

Nine major Massachusetts cities had “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rates in March 2014 that exceeded the national “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for that month of 6.3 percent, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data:

1. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in Fall River, Massachusetts was 14.7 percent in March 2014;

2. The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Lawrence, Massachusetts was 13.9 percent in March 2014;

3. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in New Bedford, Massachusetts was 12.7 percent in March 2014;

4. The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Springfield, Massachusetts was 10.4 percent in March 2014;

5. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in Brockton, Massachusetts was 8.2 percent in March 2014;

6. The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Pittsfield, Massachusetts was 7.6 percent in March 2014;

7. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in Worcester, Massachusetts was 7.6 percent in March 2014;

8. The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Lowell, Massachusetts was 7.5 percent in March 2014; and

9. The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Lynn, Massachusetts was 7.4 percent in March 2014.

The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Boston, Massachusetts in March 2014 was still 5.6 percent.

In addition, in Massachusetts between April and March 2014, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s May 15, 2014 press release:

“…Preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts lost 1,600 jobs in April…Over the month, jobs were down 1,600 with private sector jobs down 3,000…. Leisure and Hospitality lost 4,300 (-1.3%) jobs over the month…Professional, Scientific and Business Services lost 2,000 (-0.4%) jobs over the month…Education and Health Services lost 800 (-0.1%) jobs over the month…Information lost 400 (-0.4%) jobs over the month... The April labor force decreased by 1,400…


In March 2014, according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data, 231,300 workers in Massachusetts were still unemployed; and 60,500 of these unemployed workers lived in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Springfield or Worcester..

Friday, May 2, 2014

Black Youth Unemployment Rate Increases To 36.8 Percent In April 2014

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased from 36.1 to 36.8 percent between March and April 2014, according to recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics data; while the number of unemployed Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased by 25,000 (from 233,000 to 258,000) during the same period..

The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age also increased from 21.3 to 21.7 percent between March and April 2014; while the number of unemployed Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased by 2,000 (from 220,000 to 222,000) during the same period. In addition, the number of Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 13,000 (from 1,036,000 to 1,023,000) between March and April 2014..

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age was still 15.9 percent in April 2014; while the number of white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age who still had jobs decreased by 11,000 (from 3,701,000 to 3,690,000) between March and April 2014. In addition, the number of white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 142,000 (from 4,531,000 to 4,389,000) during the same period.

In April 2014, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age was still 19.1 percent; while the total number of youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age who still had jobs decreased by 24,000 (from 4,503,000 to 4,479,000) between March and April 2014. In addition, the total number of youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 162,000 (from 5,696,000 to 5,534,000) between March and April 2014; while the total number of youths between 16 and 19 years not in the U.S. labor force increased by 157,000 (from 10,962,000 to 11,119,000) during the same period.

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all Black workers (youth, male and female) was still 11.6 percent in April 2014; while the total number of Black workers who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 36,000 (from 18,756,000 to 18,720,000) between March and April 2014. In addition, the total number of Black workers not in the U.S. labor force increased by 72,000 (from 11,963,000 to 12,035,000) during the same period.

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Black female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 10.4 percent in April 2014; while the unemployment rate for Black male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 10.8 percent during that same month. In addition, between March and April 2014, the number of Black female workers over 20 years-of age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 31,000 (from 9,614,000 to 9,583,000); while the number of Black male workers over 20 years-of-age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 61,000 (from 8,496,000 to 8,435,000) during the same period.

Between March and April 2014, the official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all Asian-American workers increased from 5.4 to 5.7 percent; while the “not seasonally adjusted” number of unemployed Asian-American workers increased by 18,000 (from 480,000 to 498,000) during the same period. In addition, the number of Asian-American workers who still had jobs decreased by 126,000 (from 8,409,000 to 8,283,000) between March and April 2014; while the total number of Asian-American workers who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 107,000 (from 8,889,000 to 8,782,000) during the same period. Between March and April 2014, the total number of Asian-American workers who were not in the U.S. labor force also increased by 279,000 (from 4,880,000 to 5,059,000), according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data.

The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Latina female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 6.6 percent in April 2014; while the official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all Latino workers (male, female and youth) in the United States was still 7.3 percent during that same month. In addition, the official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Latino male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 5.7 percent in April 2014; while the number of Latino male workers over 20 years-of-age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 53,000 (from 13,922,000 to 13,869,000) between March and April 2014. During the same period, the number of Latina female workers who were still in the U.S. labor force also decreased by 64,000 (from 10,200,000 to 10,136,000).

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for white male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 5.1 percent in April 2014; while the jobless rate for white female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 4.7 percent during that same month. In addition, the number of white female workers over 20 years-of-age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 232,000 (from 54,509,000 to 54,277,000) between March and April 2014; while the number of white male workers over 20 years-of-age who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 279,000 (from 64,724,000 to 64,445,000) during the same period.

The number of white male workers over 20 years-of-age who still had jobs decreased by 100,000 (from 61,282,000 to 61,182,000) between March and April 2014, according to the “seasonally adjusted data”; while the total number of all white workers (young, female and male) who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 652,000 (from 123,763,000 to 123,111,000) during the same period. In addition, the total number of white workers who were not in the U.S. labor force also increased by 746,000 (from 71,353,000 to 72,099,000) between March and April 2014; while the official unemployment rate for all white workers in the United States was still 5.3 percent in April 2014. .

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 5.7 percent in April 2014; while the official unemployment rate for all male workers over 20 years-of-age was also still 5.9 percent during that same month. In addition, the total number of male workers over 20 years-of-age who still had jobs decreased by 96,000 (from 75,230,000 to 75,134,000) between March and April 2014; while the official jobless rate for all male workers over 16 years-of-age was still 6.4 percent in April 2014.

In April 2014, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all U.S. workers (male, female and youth) was still 6.3 percent; while the number of workers in the United States who still had jobs decreased by 73,000 (from 145,742,000 to 145,669,000) between March and April 2014. In addition, during that same period the total number of U.S. workers who were still in the U.S. labor force decreased by 806,000 (from 156,227,000 to 155,421,000); while 9,753,000 workers were still counted as officially unemployed in the United States in April 2014.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2,, 2014 press release:

“The civilian labor force dropped by 806,000 in April...The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was little changed at 7.5 million in April. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find full-time work.

“In April, 2.2 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force…These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.

“Among the marginally attached, there were 783,000 discouraged workers in April, little changed from a year earlier...Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them...

"...Electronics and appliance stores lost 11,000 jobs in April...Employment in...manufacturing, transportation and warehousing information, financial activities, and government changed little over the month..."
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