This article from the Washington Post discusses the job recovery we've been experiencing, and while it does have it's positive news:
First, though, the good news. The economy added 217,000 jobs in May, and the previous two months' reports were only revised down by 6,000. That was enough to keep the unemployment rate flat at 6.3 percent, which, as Phil Izzo points out, is better news than it sounds like since economists expected it to go back up after a fluky drop last month.
,
it does make a point that I hadn't really thought about, and that Democrats should be shouting from their podiums.
Unemployment fell from 3.3 to 3.2 percent for people with a bachelor's degree or more, and from 5.7 to 5.5 percent for those with some college. But it actually rose from 6.3 to 6.5 percent for people with only a high school diploma, and from 8.9 to 9.1 percent for those without one. (emphasis mine)
This is obviously a problem, and one that Democratic champions like
Elizabeth Warren can use to great effect to motivate Democratic voters to show up to the midterm elections.
Predatory student loans coupled with ball-shrinkingly high tuitions make college a bank-breaking endeavor for all but the wealthiest Americans, especially for returning students who now have jobs, houses, and families that need to be attended to. How the hell is a single parent working a minimum wage job going to be able to go to college and still provide care for their child / children? Daycare costs so much money that they'd need a SECOND job to pay for it. Babysitters aren't cheap, and sometimes they're not reliable. Transportation to and from college costs time and money, textbooks and materials are so expensive they might as well be covered in diamonds and unicorn tears.
Even online courses require a stable internet connection, which requires money, which requires a job. And a four-year degree is certainly no guarantee of landing a job. I've got a bachelor's in English and I'm a certified Paralegal. Guess where I work?
I work for a cable company, installing and repairing cable (please don't yell at me, I DIDN'T RAISE YOUR PRICES).
Democrats such as Warren could use these numbers to great effect, further cementing her reputation as a champion for the little guy. Republicans could be hammered for blocking aid for the poorer Americans and for backing the banks and loan companies that have the financially restricted locked into a near hopeless situation.
This may not be the end-all, be-all issue that gets out the vote in November, but it's a powerful one, nonetheless.