Dear Commons Community,
Although we see and hear little signs that the recession is alleviating a bit, a recent study by two professors at Northeastern University describes a fuller picture of those most affected. The study says those in the lowest income group (making $12,499 or less) and the second-lowest group (making $12,500 to $20,000) account for 30.8% and 19.1%, respectively, of those unemployed during the fourth quarter of 2009. By contrast, those making $100,000 to $149,000 or $150,000 or more accounted for 4% and 3.2% of the unemployed. The unemployment numbers for the two lowest groups are comparable to the Great Depression while the most affluent are technically at full employment.
The full study can be found at: http://www.clms.neu.edu/publication/documents/Labor_Underutilization_Problems_of_U.pdf
An article in the NY Times summarizing the article can be found at:
Tony
