
While a lot of Obama administration officials are excited about the improving US jobless rate and the great GDP numbers of the past few quarters, all this hasn’t been enough to silence critics. Critics point to the fact that the improvement in employment numbers mask the historically high number of Americans who have simply given up looking for work. One only needs to look at the sky-high food stamp and permanent disability rolls to get a clear idea of what might be partially funding low labor participation. Also, an in-depth look at the types of jobs being created reveals that most of these jobs pay less. Not surprisingly, the median household income in the US has sunk, not risen, during this so-called recovery. Indeed, median household income is the same now as in 2008.