The real numbers tell the real story

There are six people looking for work for every one job that's available... There are some communities where unemployment rates are around 50 percent... About 11 million jobs are needed to get everyone back to work... About 100,000 new people enter the job market each month, mostly after graduating from high school or college.

If you're unaware of the magnitude of the unemployment crisis, you have chosen not to pay attention for whatever reasons or have convinced yourself that you are immune to losing your job and/or wealth.

These are daunting numbers that still haven't received the attention they deserve. In places where unemployment rates are relatively low, you would almost think there is no recession. I live in one of those places where people can't see beyond their own inner circles of employed friends.

As many observers have noted, the Democrats are blowing it by obsessively focusing on health care rather than the economy. And the Republicans don't have enough of compassion to focus on any real solutions to either health care or unemployment. They're too busy trying to tear down President Obama.

Read more about this from a New York Times columnist.

So where do we go from here? Does unemployment need to spread like a virus, penetrating even the wealthiest neighborhoods and the most bullet-proof businesses before it is addressed in a more urgent and intelligent manner?

It makes me cringe when I hear people throwing around statistics that they twist into evidence of recent improvements in the job market. There is virtually no improvement. There are only people like myself falling off the radar because we're no longer on the official unemployment rolls because our benefits have run out, making it appear as if there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Do I know of some people who have found work recently? Sure. But for every one who found work that means five other people didn't. Even if you are a hard-nosed cynic and want to believe that one of those five don't want to work or have never held a steady job, that still leaves four other well-intentioned, well-qualified folks without much hope. There are countless reasons why this can't be sustained forever without a total collapse in our economy and society.

We're in the eye of the hurricane. There is a false sense of calming, like the storm has passed. But the numbers indicate that we haven't seen the worst of times yet. Just as Americans rallied to win world wars, we need to rally our efforts to fortify the economy before its too late.