AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

Where Have all the Jobs Gone?

Check out this time-lapse graphic of the U.S. unemployment rate by county, prepared by LaToya Egwuekwe.



Unlike many recessions where the misery was isolated in certain regional pockets, this graphic shows that the unemployment rate in this "Great Recession" has shot up accross-the-board. Last week, Whirlpool announced the closing of its appliance plant in Evansville, Indiana. Whirlpool is moving the jobs to Mexico. Whirlpool was one of the biggest employers in the region. It was also one of the last major appliance makers with a substantial unionized workforce in the United States. Yesterda, the AFL-CIO lead a "Save Our Jobs" rally near the closing plant. As a side note, the Evansville Whirlpool plant Whirlpool plant built P-47 fighters during World War II. The "Arsenal of Democracy" is being dismantled bit by bit. Henry Ford knew that to have a strong industrial economy, the workers (on balance) had to be able to afford the goods they produced. The manufacturing "geniuses" of today seem to have lost that wisdom.