Day 5: U.S. Jobless Rate at 6.7%

Since January 2009, the US has lost 1.9 million jobs (for all of you New Engalnders, that is the total population of Vermont and Maine combined). The majority of job losses have occurred in the past three months, with 533,000 lost in November alone.

This news comes as the big 3 automakers lobby Congress for $34 billion in government aid. If any of these companies fall, there will be significant losses throughout the supply chain, and with it, more families left out in the cold.

I personally struggle with a bail out of the auto industry. On the one hand, allowing economic-darwinism to take its course, is an opportunity to re-frame US manufacturing to re-frame itself to be more sustainable, relevant, flexible and prosperous. On the other, thousands of communities will be deeply affected - and we may see a dramatic increase areas such as domestic violence, alchohism, and drug-use.