9 May Be The New 5

As we age, we have heard slogans like "50 is the new 40" or "40 is the new 30". Here's another one, "9 is the new 5". I don't mean age. I am talking about unemployment. In the past we have come to accept 4-5 percent unemployment as normal in a fuller employment environment. I believe these days are behind us and that accepting a higher normal, regrettably may be a new reality. Unless our government, business leaders, schools and politicians rise to the occasion and recognize the need to change this, we are doomed to this persistent and nagging number. When candidates such as Rick Perry tout their job growth expertise of creating thousands of minimum wage jobs, the focus we need will not be achieved. In our recent past, companies are rewarded by stockholders for downsizing. Huge layoffs are met with stock price increases and a bottom line approach to cost savings. Labor as an expendible commodity has become the way of corporate America. Business leaders disguise this reality by touting government regulation as the real problem with job creation but this is a canard. Robotics, automation and consolidation is the sought after strategy by companies. There are millions of unfilled jobs in this country that aren't being filled because there is a void in our population of the skills and education required. Instead of downsizing, we should be educating. Instead of automation, we should be training and instead of blaming the President who speaks eloquently to this issue, we ought to be changing the way we prepare for the future. If not, 9 percent will definitely be the new 5. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?