It's the same in Canada, Patio.
Many of the 'new' jobs are also part time, or in call centres (low wage). Also, outsourcing causes distortion. Here's a real example:
In 1994, the telephone company (where I worked) had about 4,000 employees. Due to the LD competition (so they said), they had to laid off 1,500 technical workers, leaving their numbers at 2,500. Now, those 1,500 jobs that were lost were recreated by outsourcing to service companies to whom the telephone company gave service contracts.
So technically, the jobs are still here. What's the catch? Well, as telephone company employees, the techies made about $42,000 per year. The same workers, now working for the outsourced contractors, are now pulling in about $28-30,000 per year. Yeah, the jobs are still there, but the workers are making not quite 2/3 the paycheck! Ergo, the phone company pulls in more profits, and the workers lose, big-time. Oh and by the way, I worked in the Finance and Regulatory Departments, they are pulling in many millions in profits and the government owes them more millions in 'deferred taxes'.
Edited to add: By the way, they just went on strike (again) 2 weeks ago because of this very reason.
It's can be discouraging to think things are getting better, only to realize that the numbers are mostly 'smoke & mirrors'. Also, elsewhere makes a good point about wage freezes vs. inflation. The workers are losing in that scenario as well.
It ticks me off that the workers are, as usual, getting royally screwed!
Sorry, Yeru, didn't mean to get so off-topic, I just get ticked about the money situation for the poor and the BS handed to us about jobs by OUR government.
I agree that the economic downturn is not Bush's fault, things go in cycles, and your point is well-taken.
tal
