The April unemployment report shows that job opportunities remain at historic highs across the country. In fact, the report came in better than expected at a 3.4% unemployment rate, exceeding expectations for the resilience and strength of the labor market.
In this environment, no work-capable person should be without a job. But the sad reality is that the very safety net system created to help people who are struggling is the same one contributing to keeping them mired in generational poverty. I’m talking about America’s social-safety net system.
kAmpD :E DE2?5D[ @FC ?2E:@?’D H6=72C6 DJDE6> :D 2 7C28>6?E65 9@586A@586 @7 AC@8C2>D] %96 5@K6?D @7 AC@8C2>D E92E >2<6 FA “E96 DJDE6>” 92G6 5:776C6?E 2?5[ 2E E:>6D[ 4@>A6E:?8 8@2=D[ :?4@?D:DE6?E CF=6D[ 2?5 @G6C=2AA:?8 8C@FAD @7 C64:A:6?ED] k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A=:42E65 ?2EFC6 @7 H6=72C6 :D >@C6 E92? 2 ?F:D2?46] u@C C64:A:6?ED[ :E’D 2 56EC:>6?E2= 32CC:6C E@ 25G2?4:?8 E@ 2 36EE6C =:76] %96 D46?2C:@ :? D:8?:?8 FA 7@C H6=72C6 36?67:ED :D 4@?7FD:?8 2E 36DE] tG6? :7 A6@A=6 5@ 7:?5 E96 C:89E @77:46[ E96J >FDE C6DF3>:E E96 D2>6 :?7@C>2E:@? >F=E:A=6 E:>6D[ 2?5 @7E6? 6=:8:3:=:EJ :D 56E6C>:?65 3J 4@?7=:4E:?8 CF=6D] (@F=5\36 C64:A:6?ED >2J 6?5 FA H:E9 >F=E:A=6 A=2?D 2?5 >F=E:A=6 42D6H@C<6CD] k^Am
kAm&=E:>2E6=J[ 6G6CJ 9@FC D@>6@?6 DA6?5D ?2G:82E:?8 E96 D276EJ\?6E DJDE6> :D 2? 9@FC E96J 2C6?’E DA6?5:?8 =@@<:?8 7@C H2JD E@ 6D42A6 :E]k^Am
kAmp55:?8 E@ E96 4@?7FD:@?[ E96C6 :D @7E6? 2 5:D4@??64E 36EH66? D276EJ\?6E AC@8C2>D 2?5 H6=72C6\E@\H@C< :?:E:2E:G6D] %9:D <66AD A6@A=6 DEF4< :? A@G6CEJ] %96 D276EJ ?6E :D 6DD6?E:2= 7@C 42E49:?8 E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 72==:?8[ 3FE :E :D?’E 2 56DE:?2E:@?] p=E9@F89 E9:D ECFE9 :D @7E6? A@=:E:4:K65 2?5 FD65 E@ 25G2?46 2 46CE2:? 286?52[ E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42?D C64@8?:K6 E92E H@C< :D E96 36DE H2J E@ 6D42A6 A@G6CEJ] xE D9@F=5 36 @FC 8@2= E@ C6>@G6 6G6CJ 32CC:6C E@ 2 =:76 @7 E9C:G:?8[ 2?5 E92E :?4=F56D @3DE24=6D E@ H@C<]k^Am
kAm%96 A2E9 :?E@ A@G6CEJ :D 566A=J :?5:G:5F2=[ 2?5 D@ C67@C>D 2C6 ?66565 7@C 2 >@C6 9@=:DE:4 2AAC@249] $EC62>=:?:?8 E96 D276EJ\?6E AC@46DD :D >2?52E@CJ E@ 2G@:5 4@?7=:4E:?8 CF=6D 2?5 :?4@?D:DE6?E EC62E>6?E @7 A6@A=6 36EH66? AC@8C2>D] p 3:8 A2CE @7 E9:D :D 4@?D@=:52E:?8 2?5 4@>3:?:?8 AC@8C2>D E92E D6CG6 E96 D2>6 72>:=:6D] u@C :?5:G:5F2=D[ E9:D H:== 6=:>:?2E6 E96 ?665 E@ 8@ E@ >F=E:A=6 286?4:6D 7@C 96=A] xE H:== 2=D@ >62? E92E H6=72C6 C64:A:6?ED H:== 36 4@??64E65 DEC2:89E E@ H@C< AC@8C2>D[ D6EE:?8 2 7@F?52E:@? E@ 7C66 E96> 7C@> 86?6C2E:@?2= A@G6CEJ]k^Am
kAmxD E96C6 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 DF446DD :? E9:D 2C6?2n %92?<7F==J[ E96 2?DH6C :D 2 C6D@F?5:?8 J6D] (6 D9@F=5 =@@< E@ &E29 2D 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 2 DE2E6 :? E96 ?2E:@? E92E :D =625:?8 E96 H2J]k^Am
kAm&E29’D “@?6 5@@C” A@=:4J 92D :?E68C2E65 9F>2? D6CG:46D H:E9 H@C<7@C46 D6CG:46D 2?5 AC@G:56D 4:E:K6?D H:E9 2 D:?8=6 AC@8C2> E@ H@C< E9C@F89] (6=72C6 364@>6D H@C< DFAA@CE[ 2?5 A6@A=6 92G6 2 4=62C A2E9 E@ 86E E96 96=A E96J ?665 H9:=6 C646:G:?8 65F42E:@?[ EC2:?:?8[ 2?5 @E96C DFAA@CE E@ 7:?5 6>A=@J>6?E] ~? E96 7:D42= 7C@?E[ E96 DE2E6 2=D@ :?E68C2E6D 7656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 7F?5D FD:?8 2 F?:BF6 4@DE >@56= E92E 92D AC@G6? 9:89=J 67764E:G6]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 @?6 5@@C >@56=[ 2 A6CD@? =@@<:?8 7@C 2DD:DE2?46 :D 4@??64E65 E@ 2 D:?8=6 A@:?E @7 4@?E24E[ H9@D6 ;@3 :D E@ 96=A E92E A6CD@? 7:?5 E96 D6CG:46D 2?5 DFAA@CE E96J ?665 E@ 86E 324< @? E96:C 766E] %9:D A@:?E @7 4@?E24E :D 2? 25G@42E6 2?5 2==J H9@ H:== 96=A E96 C64:A:6?E 249:6G6 E96:C 8@2=D]k^Am
kAm%9:D @?6 5@@C >@56= 92D 366? H@C<:?8 :? &E29 D:?46 `hhf] xE 92D 96=A65 A6@A=6 =:<6 p>36C[ 2 H:5@H 2?5 D:?8=6 >@E96C H9@D6 9FD32?5 A2DD65 2H2J DF556?=J 7C@> DE286 c 42?46C] &E29’D (@C<7@C46 $6CG:46D 96=A65 p>36C 4@>A=6E6 96C 568C66 :? D@4:2= H@C< 2E &E29 '2==6J &?:G6CD:EJ[ 364@>:?8 E96 7:CDE A6CD@? :? 96C 72>:=J E@ 4@>A=6E6 A@DE\D64@?52CJ 65F42E:@?]k^Am
kAm&E29’D 2AAC@249 2=D@ 96=AD 6I\@776?56CD — H9@ 244@F?E 7@C e__[___ A6@A=6 ?2E:@?2==J C6=62D65 7C@> AC:D@? 6249 J62C — 4@??64E E@ H@C<[ 2 <6J >6EC:4 E@ 6?DFC6 E96J 5@?’E 6?5 FA 369:?5 AC:D@? H2==D 282:?] #@3:? :D 2?@E96C 6I2>A=6] $96 92D 76=@?J 492C86D @? 96C C64@C5 2?5 :D C6BF:C65 E@ 2EE6?5 4@FCE C68F=2C=J] p7E6C 4@>A=6E:?8 2? 2DD6DD>6?E H:E9 2? 6>A=@J>6?E 4@F?D6=@C[ #@3:? 564:565 E@ 2EE6?5 %@@6=6 %649?:42= r@==686 :? E96 962GJ 5FEJ 5:6D6= E649?:4:2? AC@8C2>] $96 C646:G65 2 D49@=2CD9:A 7C@> 2 =@42= 4@>A2?J 2?5 92D 2=C625J C646:G65 2 ;@3 @776C :? 96C 49@D6? 7:6=5] %96 @?6\5@@C >@56= >2<6D DE@C:6D =:<6 p>36C’D 2?5 #@3:?’D E96 ?@C> :? @FC D276EJ\?6E DJDE6> :?DE625 @7 E96 @FE=:6CD]k^Am
kAm&E29’D 2AAC@249 :D H@CE9 C6A=:42E:?8 :? @E96C DE2E6D[ 3FE E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E ?665D E@ 86E @? 3@2C5] pD :E DE2?5D[ E96 7656C2= (@C<7@C46 x??@G2E:@? 2?5 ~AA@CEF?:EJ p4E W(x~pX :D 2 32CC:6C E@ DE2E6D :?E68C2E:?8 DJDE6>D =:<6 &E29 5:5 3642FD6 :E >2<6D :E 5:77:4F=E 7@C DE2E6D E@ :?E68C2E6 H@C<7@C46 AC@8C2>D :?E@ E96 9@=:DE:4 DJDE6>] (6 ?665 r@?8C6DD E@ 6IA2?5 E96 @?6\5@@C @AE:@? 7@C 2== DE2E6D :? E96 ?6IE (x~p 2FE9@C:K2E:@?]k^Am
kAmpE E92E A@:?E[ :E’D FA E@ :?5:G:5F2= DE2E6 =6256CD E@ 86E @?3@2C5 2?5 H@C< E@ 4@?D@=:52E6 H6=72C6 AC@8C2>D 2?5 :?E68C2E6 E96> H:E9 H@C<7@C46\C625:?6DD :?:E:2E:G6D] $E2E6D =:<6 %6I2D[ v6@C8:2[ 2?5 {@F:D:2?2 2C6 =@@<:?8 E@ :>A=6>6?E E96D6 EJA6D @7 A@=:4:6D]k^Am
kAm#67@C>:?8 E96 DJDE6> :D?’E 23@FE >2<:?8 8@G6C?>6?E >@C6 677:4:6?E[ 3FE 23@FE C6>@G:?8 32CC:6CD E@ 2 E9C:G:?8 =:76 7@C 2== A6@A=6]k^Am
kAmk6>mqFKK qC@4<H2J :D G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 A@=:4J 7@C E96 v6@C8:2 r6?E6C 7@C ~AA@CEF?:EJ[ 2 >6>36C @7 E96 p==:2?46 7@C ~AA@CEF?:EJ]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.