Most of us, if we’re honest, don’t watch the President’s weekly address, but today’s was well worth the effort.
President Obama did a little crowing about the most recent jobs numbers, and well he should. Unemployment is at its lowest level since the bad old days of George W. Bush, there have been 70 straight months of job growth, and it appears we may soon be reaching the point of full employment in the United States. This is great news for everyone.
But problems remain in the job market. One of those is that all too often employers that hire those who have lost their jobs pay lower wages than the worker made at his or her prior job. Working class Americans have been getting financially squeezed in this way because they need to work and cannot afford to quibble over the salary.
And now the President says he wants to drastically change that equation for those who work hard and play by the rules. He’s starting a plan of not just improved unemployment insurance and job training for those who can’t find a job, but also wage insurance for those who make under $50,000 per year who are re-hired for a job at a lower wage. The plan would cover up to $10,000 in wage replacement over two years to those making less money yet doing the same job they were doing before they were let go.
In his weekly address, President Obama noted:
“If a hardworking American loses her job, regardless of what state she lives in, we should make sure she can get unemployment insurance and some help to retrain for her next job.
“It’s a way to give families some stability and encourage folks to rejoin the workforce – because we shouldn’t just be talking about unemployment; we should be talking about reemployment.”
Make no mistake: The GOP will fight the President tooth and nail on any proposal to help average Americans who cannot donate thousands of dollars to their campaigns, but let them do so and then explain why they did when November rolls around and they want votes.
This is a great idea from the White House, and it is long overdue. Well done, Mr. President!
Watch the President Talk About Protecting American Workers
Featured Image Via The White House
