And Now for the Good News...

As pointed out by ZeroHedge.com yesterday, the U.S. labor market is in a full-blown depression if you look at the real numbers.

• The share of long-unemployment is at its highest level since the Great Depression (42%). 
• Fully 54% of college degree graduates under the age of 25 are either unemployed or underemployed. 25 million Americans are on food stamps -one in seven residents. 
• 47% of Americans are on some form of government assistance. 
• The employment-to-population ratio for 25-54 year olds is now 75.7%, lower than it was when the recession supposedly ended in June 2009. 
• The number of people not in the labor force has swelled 8 million since the recession ended. The ranks of the unemployed who have been looking fruitlessly for work for at least 27 weeks jumped 310k in May, the sharpest increase since May 2011. 
• The unemployment rate for males aged 16-19 is 27% and for males between 20 and 24 it is 13%. 

Draw your own conclusions from a social (in) stability standpoint. One in seven Americans is either unemployed or underemployed.   A mere 16% of the 2009-2011 graduating class has found full-time work, while 22% are working part-time. Even those hired from 2006-08, just 23% are working full-time.
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Homelessness

Public Meeting on Homelessness: A public meeting will be held January 30 at 6:30pm at the George C. Ryder room at the main branch of First Community Bank in Batesville to discuss the needs of the homeless in the area. It will also serve as a way for charitable organizations to learn about each other.  Hell fighter's Christian Ministry is working towards a homeless shelter for the area and needs the... help of the community.  Comments/suggestions can be made by anyone who wishes to attend the meeting. Please try to be as brief as possible.   Afterwards, a representative from each organization will be asked to speak and educate the audience as to what service they provide and will take questions from the audience. Please bring literature about your organization that can be handed out—make sure contact information is on it. For more information contact Brad Cummings 870-793-5765.

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