This
page was printed from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Web site at www.paaflcio.org.
For more information about the information in this document contact:September 21, 2004
Bush/Cheney Continue To Gloss Over Their Economic Failures
Harrisburg, PA -- Despite rosy economic figures touted by the Bush-Cheney Administration, the people of Pennsylvania are faced with a stark reality: outsourced jobs, lower pay and fewer opportunities. The Bush-Cheney agenda of corporate cronyism and tax cuts for the rich has assaulted working families by rewarding the privileged at the expense of everyone else. Pennsylvania has experienced a net loss of jobs during the Bush/Cheney Administration leaving many workers behind in the alleged economic recovery touted by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
Change in not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by metro area since recession. |
||||||
|
Unemployment rate |
Average July unemployment rate |
Average percentage point change in July unemployment rate |
|||
|
Jul-01 |
Jul-02 |
Jul-03 |
Jul-04 |
||
Philadelphia City |
6.3 |
8.1 |
7.9 |
7.4 |
7.4 |
0.4 |
Johnstown |
6.4 |
7.1 |
6.9 |
6.7 |
6.8 |
0.1 |
Erie |
6.0 |
7.3 |
7.0 |
6.4 |
6.7 |
0.1 |
Williamsport |
5.5 |
6.6 |
6.3 |
6.4 |
6.2 |
0.3 |
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton |
5.5 |
6.1 |
5.9 |
6.5 |
6.0 |
0.3 |
Reading |
5.3 |
6.5 |
6.2 |
5.3 |
5.8 |
0.0 |
Philadelphia PMSA |
4.5 |
6.0 |
5.9 |
5.5 |
5.5 |
0.3 |
Allentown-Bethlehem |
4.4 |
5.8 |
5.8 |
5.6 |
5.4 |
0.4 |
Pennsylvania Statewide |
4.8 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.4 |
5.4 |
0.2 |
Pittsburgh |
4.2 |
5.4 |
5.7 |
5.4 |
5.2 |
0.4 |
Sharon |
5.1 |
4.6 |
5.3 |
5.4 |
5.1 |
0.1 |
Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle |
3.5 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
0.1 |
Lancaster |
3.2 |
3.9 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
0.2 |
State College |
2.7 |
3.5 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.5 |
0.4 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data extracted on: Sep 14, 2004 |
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The Bush Administration’s economic policies have increased the growing disparity between the wealthy and working Americans, decimating good jobs, lowering wage rates, higher rates of poverty and fewer families with health care coverage.
In Pennsylvania alone more than 300,000 jobs have been lost since 2001, including 160,000 manufacturing jobs.
Since 2001, the number of uninsured Pennsylvanians has risen from just over 1 million to over 1.4 million.
Pennsylvania is leading the nation in the number of people who have lost their health care and we are second in the nation in rising premium costs.
The fact is the Bush/Cheney economic policies have been bad for Pennsylvania and bad for working families.
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