By Pranav Ravichandran and Anuj Roy

The rates of unemployment are steadily rising over the months. As of November 2011, the announcement of unemployment rating was given to the public. The rate of November’s unemployment had risen to 10.2% in Missouri, according to Todd Akin, representative of Missouri. The expected tax raise will most likely cost the U.S. 5.5 million more jobs. Because of the rising unemployment, several states have reduced the amount of unemployment benefits. The benefits have become so less that it is almost impossible to meet the basic needs. However, unemployment has decreased over the past quarter and into November. Background Information (General)

Background Information (con’t) YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

In Virginia, all nonfarm employment has declined by 15,000 jobs. This 0.4 percent of people in VA. The average unemployment rate in VA is 6.9 percent. The main jobs that were lost include manufacturing, construction, information, trade and transportation, leisure and hospitality, and finance. However, only four sectors had added jobs in the last year. They were professional and business services, private educations and health services, government, and mining. Virginia

What are your thoughts on of the unemployment rates of today’s economy? What type of jobs in the future will create more opportunities? If you could change one thing in today’s economy regarding unemployment, what would it be? How do you think these unemployment percentage increases has affected today’s society? When do you think unemployment ratings will start to decrease? Why? Our Questions

We interviewed Maureen Neal at the Daily Planet. We thought it would be a good idea because most people at the Daily Planet have lost their jobs or did not have one. Who we interviewed

Because I work for an organization called the daily planet that provides health care services to people who are uninsured when people become unemployed they most often are uninsured because most insurance is given through their employer’s work force so when the unemployment rate gets to be so high like it is currently then that means there are a lot of people without healthcare and its benefits. So my organization the daily planet and its health care center provide health care at no cost to the person who has no resources and they have no job and they have no income then they can come here for free health care. Whether its primary health care or behavioral health or visual or dental Our Interview (Answers and Follow-ups)

. And so what I think about unemployment rates is that it’s affecting way to many families and one of the biggest ways its affecting them is the provision of health care so what we do is we provide these health care services so they don’t have to worry about paying rent, or having food on the table, or some other expense that would keep them from having health care. If they have to make that hard choice then they might choose food which makes total sense but they still need to be healthy so they can apply for a job. So that’s what we do here and that’s what I think about the unemployment rates. I think it’s sad and I think its hard times for everybody but were doing our part to help with that. Our Interview (con’t)

Jobs in the technology field and jobs in the clean energy field. That the affordable care at the past so that people who are unemployed still have health care. I think people are thinking there for the grace of god go I. And what that means is that it’s happening to so many people around us are neighbors our friends are co-workers are brothers are sisters are moms our dads our children you know so many people are losing their jobs that everybody is so thankful to have a job. And they feel compassionately towards people who don’t have jobs. Our Interview (con’t)

I wish I had a good answer to that question. I have no idea really I don’t think it’s going to happen until the housing economy changes. Because the housing industry is such a huge part of our economic stability and until that’s stable and people are buying homes and buying furniture and paying rent and you know supporting others than that will trickle down to the rest of the economy I hope that that’s soon I hope that happens with in the next year. But I have no idea. Our Interview (con’t)

Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bureau of Labor Statistics Data." Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web. 05 Dec Cooper, Michael, and Allison Kopicki. "Facing Hardship, Jobless Still Say They Have Hope." New York Times 27 Oct. 2011: A1(L). Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 4 Nov "Looking Ahead." New York Times 31 Oct. 2011: B3(L). Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 4 Nov Citations

Press, Associate. "Va.'s 2010 Job Losses Steeper than First Estimated." 24 Mar Web. 4 Nov losses-steeper-first-estimated-ar / "Project Highlights - Loans." Capital Link: Capital Development Assistance for Community Health Centers. Web. 06 Dec "WITH SKYROCKETING UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL GOES FROM IRRATIONAL TO DELUSIONAL." States News Service 6 Nov Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 4 Nov Citations (con’t)