Lawrence, Massachusetts "Not Seasonally Adjusted" Jobless Rate Still 8.1 Percent In April 2015

In April 2015, the official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Lawrence, Massachusetts was still 8.1 percent; while Massachusetts’ “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate was still 4.4 percent during that same month, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in 4 other major Massachusetts cities and in the town of North Adams was still higher than the “not seasonally adjusted” national U.S. unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in April 2015:

1. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in Fall River, Massachusetts was still 7.8 percent in April 2015;

2. The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Springfield, Massachusetts was still 7.6 percent in April 2015;

3. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in New Bedford, Massachusetts was still 7.4 percent in April 2015;

4. The official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in North Adams, Massachusetts was still 6.6 percent in April 2015; and

5. The official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in Brockton, Massachusetts was still 5.6 percent in April 2015.

In addition, the official “not seasonally adjusted” jobless rate in Lowell, Massachusetts was still 5.4 percent in April 2015; while the official “not seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate in Boston, Massachusetts was still 3.7 percent during that same month.

According to the Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s June 18, 2015 press release:

“Over the month [of May 2015]….transportation and warehousing lost 500 jobs…Information lost 200 (-0.2%) jobs over the month…Professional, Scientific and Business Services lost 400 (-0.1%) jobs over the month….The May estimates show….168,700 were unemployed…..”

In April 2015, the “not seasonally adjusted” number of unemployed workers in Massachusetts was still 157,900; and around 42,000 of these officially unemployed workers lived in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford,, Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester or North Adams, according to the “not seasonally adjusted” data. 

Australian Anti-War Activist Joan Coxsedge's May 24, 2015 Letter

(The following letter from Australian anti-war and Latin American solidarity activist Joan Coxsedge—who is also a former member of the Victoria state parliament--originally appeared in an Australian-Cuban solidarity group’s newsletter)

“May 24, 2015,

“Dear Comrades,

“We’re almost halfway through the year. Unbelievable.  Someone must be fiddling with the clocks. Why not, they’re fiddling with everything else, especially our minds.  We’ve got the ‘War on Drugs’, the War on Terror’, ‘The War on Unions’ and the ‘War on People’, the ordinary people, the battlers and anyone vaguely to the left of Ivan the Terrible, trying to keep everyone on edge, so everyone’s a little afraid of exactly what isn’t clear, but always needing more draconian laws for ‘protection’.I’m far more afraid of the bastards telling us we should be afraid, the gutless wonders who preen and ponce and then run for cover when confronted with their real bosses.

“And what a nasty, miserable budget concocted by this bunch of corrupt, brain-dead morons, stealing money (our money) from a huge range of small community groups, to give to the chosen. Brandis wants his own little Arts fiefdom, decimating the Australia Arts Council, claiming it’s only losing 15% of budget funding when 50% is closer to the mark

“But where is the public outrage to this appalling government?  Why aren’t Australians jumping up and down about the more than $9bn the government is shelling out for three dud US missile destroyers when it could have bought nine from Spain that have already been built for $3bn, saving $6bn?  In any case, the money should be spent on health and education.

“‘Misspoken’ said Abbott after US Sec. of Defence David Shear let the cat out of the bag when he said B-1 bombers would ‘move’ to Australia, meaning they will be based here. ‘Team Australia’.  What a laugh.  Powerful vested interests manifest themselves in many ways, one is through lobbying, full-on, insidious well-funded lobbying by outfits like the Minerals Council of Australia. More than a 1000 lobbyists, part-time and full-time but all very secretive, infest the halls of Canberra challenging government policy and subverting democracy, while the public service is being seriously downgraded and ultra-right think tanks like the Institute of Public Affairs get tax breaks, getting the bulk of its funding from god knows where. 

“Obama, the first black US president, is shaping up to be one of the most devious presidents in modern times and that’s really saying something when you look at his predecessors. A recent Obama quote: ‘We have to make sure America writes the rules of the global economy and we should do it today while our economy is in a position of global strength. If we don’t write the rules for trade around the world, guess what, China will. And they’ll write the rules in a way that gives Chinese businesses the upper hand.’  It explains why Obama is forcefully pressing the case for the toxic, authoritarian Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), his final gift to the global elite, a corporate giveaway, which if you look at the details will take us one more step on the road to Armageddon.

“As I’ve said so often, the TPP will reduce wages, deepen inequality, undermine sovereignty and further damage our already damaged environment. Even leading corporate Democrats like the Clintons who championed TPP’s forerunner NAFTA, are keeping their distance on this one, but sadly there are enough Democrats combining with a unanimous Republican bloc to pass the TPP legislation.

“Another Obama legacy is his version of health insurance, a scheme much loved by giant pharmaceutical companies and big insurance, a bill that was drafted by the Republican Heritage Foundation, replacing the popular alternative Medicare for All.

“And then there’s his current push for the huge climate-destroying oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell oil to start drilling for fossil fuels in the beautiful pristine Arctic Ocean, a critical habitat for rare species. A dismal end to a dismal presidency.

“A few weeks ago, Russia celebrated the Allied victory over Nazism without the presence of Obama or other western leaders, demeaning the extraordinary sacrifice of the Russian people made seven decades ago.  A boycott that is part of a clumsy attempt to belittle Russia and to present an anti-Putin, anti-Russian alternative version. If it wasn’t for the Red Army’s victories against the German invaders, particularly the crucial Battle for Stalingrad in 1943-1944, the prospects for victory would have been almost impossible.

“But good things are happening in Argentina. Last August workers arrived at their factory and found a note at the gate telling them the company had closed down and was moving abroad to take advantage of a cheaper and more docile workforce. The workers moved swiftly, gave the factory a new name, finished a job worth $500,000 and enrolled in the national registry of cooperatives, joining many others doing similar things, while the women opened a daycare centre in the factory to look after the children. When the police tried to evict the workers, popular support from the community - public hospital staff stated they would not provide medical treatment if police were injured in the standoff - forced the cops to pull their heads in.  Nationalisation under workers’ control.  Something worth fighting for.

“ Viva socialism!

“Joan Coxsedge”

Black Youth `Seasonally Adjusted' Unemployment Rate Increases To 30.1 Percent In May 2015

Between April and May 2015, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Black youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased from 27.5 to 30.1 percent; while the number of unemployed Black youths increased by 28,000 (from 187,000 to 215,000) during the same period, according to the “seasonally adjusted” Bureau of Labor Statistics data.  

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States also increased from 18.9 to 19.2 percent between April and May 2015; while the number of Latino youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the U.S. labor force decreased by 24,000 (from 1,157,000 to 1,133,000 ) during the same period, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data. In addition, the “seasonally adjusted” number of Latino youths who still had jobs decreased by 22,000 (from 938,000 to 916,000) between April and May 2015.

The official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age increased from 14.5 to 15.5 percent between April and May 2015; while the number of unemployed white youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased by 54,000 (from 660,000 to 714,000) during the same period, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data..

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all youths (Black, Latino, white and Asian-American) between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased from 17.1 to 17.9 percent between April and May 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” total number of unemployed youths between 16 and 19 years-of-age in the United States increased by 53,000 (from 986,000 to 1,039,000) during the same period.

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Black male workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States also increased from 9.2 to 10.2 percent between April and May 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all Black workers in the United States (youth, male and female) increased from 9.6 to 10.2 percent during the same period. In addition, between April and May 2015 the total “seasonally adjusted” official number of unemployed Black workers in the United States increased by 120,000 (from 1,868,000 to 1,988,000); while the jobless rate for Black female workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States was still 8.8 percent in May 2015, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data..

In May 2015, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Latino male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 6 percent; while the official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all Latino workers (youth, male and female) in the United States was still 6.7 percent during the same month. In addition, the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for Latina female workers over 20 years-of-age was still 6.5 percent in May 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” number of unemployed Latino workers not in the U.S. labor force increased by 97,000 (from 13,237,000 to 13,334,000) between April and May 2015. And in May 2015, the “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for Asian-American workers was still 4.1 percent.

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for white female workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States increased from 4.2 to 4.3 percent between April and May 2015; while the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for white male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 4.2 percent in May 2015. In addition, the “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all white workers (youth, male and female) was still 4.7 percent in May 2015; while the “seasonally adjusted” total number of unemployed white workers increased by 36,000 (from 5,791,000 to 5,827,000) between April and May 2015.

The official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all female workers over 16 years-of-age in the United States was still 5.4 percent in May 2015; while the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all female workers over 20 years-of-age increased from 4.9 to 5 percent between April and May 2015. In addition, the official “seasonally adjusted” jobless rate for all male workers over 16 years-of-age in the United States increased from 5.5 to 5.6 percent during the same period; while the official “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate for all male workers over 20 years-of-age was still 5 percent in May 2015.

Between April and May 2015, the official “seasonally adjusted” total number of unemployed workers in the United States increased by 125,000 (from 8,549,,000 to 8,674,000); while the official unemployment rate for all U.S. workers (male, female and youth) increased from 5.4  to 5.5 percent during the same period, according to the “seasonally adjusted” data

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ June 5, 2015 press release:

“….The unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 5.5 percent….Mining employment continued to decline...The number of unemployed new entrants edged up by 103,000 in May….Unemployed new entrants are those who never previously worked…..The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) held at 2.5 million in May and accounted for 28.6 percent of the unemployed….

"The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was about unchanged at 6.7 million in May and has shown little movement in recent months. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part-time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

In May, 1.9 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 563,000 discouraged workers in May...Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them....

“Employment in mining fell for the fifth month in a row, with a decline of 17,000 in May. The loss was in support activities for mining. Employment in mining has decreased by 68,000 thus far this year...Employment in other major industries, including manufacturing, wholesale trade, information, and government showed little change over the month....The change in total nonfarm payroll employment...for April was revised from +223,000 to +221,000..."