Upon observing the latest tally from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for Salisbury/Wicomico - it as if the 'Rapture' is being played out right here in our own backyard. According to the employment data - our workforce is vanishing leaving only those who are recipients, while the contributors - (taxpayers) - are vanishing. The shear number of disappearing workers is alarming especially given the fact that traditionally the lions share of the State/County/Municipal budgets income is derived from income tax receipts. Normally - one would logically conclude that the State/County/Municipal budgets would be trimmed to help offset the decline in revenues derived from a disappearing workforce. Quite the contrary - the facts reveal that the operating budgets have significantly increased. This situation poses a demise especially for property owners - as the portion of the 'pie' - (property taxes) - will have to be significantly increased. Otherwise we will end up bankrupt just like Detroit, San Bernadinao- among many others.
Desperate Times Call for Drastic Measures
What bankruptcy really does is it goes beyond the usual suspects. Usually [municipalities] nail the taxpayer and they nail the public employee. What bankruptcy will do is bring the banks, the lenders, the bondholders into the mix. Could it be that Salisbury/Wicomico could be headed for an economic showdown in the foreseeable future? Taking a look at the following employment data reveals that soon - something will have to give as Salisbury/Wicomico County is now losing well over a thousand jobs a month.
Monthly comparison - (i.e. August 13 to August 12 (-1455 less jobs)
| Unemploy. | Change over prior | ||||||
| County | Period | Labor Force | Employed | Unemployed | Rate % | year 2011 | |
| Wicomico | 11-Feb | 52506 | 47333 | 5173 | 9.9 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Mar | 53116 | 48391 | 4725 | 8.9 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Apr | 52961 | 48485 | 4476 | 8.5 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-May | 53444 | 48877 | 4567 | 8.5 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Jun | 53825 | 48951 | 4874 | 9.1 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Jul | 54139 | 49273 | 4866 | 9 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Aug | 53423 | 48706 | 4717 | 8.8 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Sep | 53821 | 49172 | 4649 | 8.6 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Oct | 53384 | 48809 | 4575 | 8.6 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Nov | 53153 | 48516 | 4637 | 8.7 | ||
| Wicomico | 11-Dec | 53213 | 48619 | 4594 | 8.6 | ||
| Wicomico | 12-Jan | 51246 | 46321 | 4925 | 9.6 | ||
| Wicomico | 12-Feb | 52605 | 47554 | 5051 | 9.6 | 99 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Mar | 53073 | 48351 | 4722 | 8.9 | -43 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Apr | 52786 | 48389 | 4397 | 8.3 | -175 | |
| Wicomico | 12-May | 53494 | 49094 | 4400 | 8.2 | 50 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Jun | 54197 | 49525 | 4672 | 8.6 | 372 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Jul | 54801 | 50161 | 4640 | 8.5 | 662 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Aug | 53707 | 49299 | 4408 | 8.2 | 284 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Sep | 53285 | 49118 | 4167 | 7.8 | -536 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Oct | 52867 | 48580 | 4287 | 8.1 | -517 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Nov | 52796 | 48411 | 4385 | 8.3 | -357 | |
| Wicomico | 12-Dec | 53234 | 48608 | 4626 | 8.7 | 21 | |
| Wicomico | 13-Jan | 51189 | 46296 | 4893 | 9.6 | -57 | |
| Wicomico | 13-Feb | 51438 | 46764 | 4674 | 9.1 | -1167 | |
| Wicomico | 13-Mar | 52101 | 47607 | 4494 | 8.6 | -972 | |
| Wicomico | 13-Apr | 51713 | 47508 | 4205 | 8.1 | -1073 | |
| Wicomico | 13-May | 52672 | 48290 | 4382 | 8.3 | -822 | |
| Wicomico | 13-Jun | 52595 | 47842 | 4753 | 9 | -1602 | |
| Wicomico | 13-Jul | 52964 | 48588 | 4376 | 8.3 | -1837 | r |
| Wicomico | 13-Aug | 52252 | 48208 | 4044 | 7.7 | -1455 | p |
| -9125 | less | ||||||
| p = preliminary. | SOURCE: BLS, LAUS | workforce | |||||
| r = revised | 21-Oct-13 | ||||||
35 comments:
Looks like K&L will be next. The furlough days the employees have received so far just aren't cutting it. thanks Obama
I knew it! I saw this train coming and if the average Joe Blow would simply look at his or her tax bill they will soon realize that the ordinary taxpayer is being dumped on. Between the property taxes, tag fees, toll fees, speed traps, the ordinary citizen is being screwed!
This is a good article and I hope it raises the bar on public awareness.
And we are suppose to be in a recovery?
I will tell you what the grand plan of the democrats are - take from the working class and feed those fat cats that have been pillaging our system. I only hope that Rick Pollitt and Jim Ireton are listening.
It looks like to me that the local colleges and universities would be honing on the local employment stats.
Where are they?
This is stunning information. Some of the best coverage I have seen to date. Great article Salisbury News.
Responding to 9:29 Comment on Public Awareness.
The employment numbers are worse than terrible, they are devastating. By the chart it looks as though we have lost 9,125 jobs over the short span of 19 months or less than two years.
Another factor to consider is according the planning office our population is increasing. In essence, our region is losing ground as the job growth should exceed the population increases. IMHO the current situation is unsustainable.
These stats look deplorable. If these are accurate then Wicomico County is really in a deep economic trouble. Joe - are you sure the employment numbers are accurate. Do you have a web link where I can check out this information.
To 1:27 Posting
The informational link is in the body of the article. The numbers look to be correct for Wicomico.
This is why most all of the major networks refer to as a jobless recovery. Unlike previous recessions this one has not resulted in any job growth. Based on the evidence - of course one could assert a good argument that we are not having a recovery. In other areas of the world this kind of activity is referred to as drifting toward 3rd world status.
I just got in and am started by these numbers. Surely, this information should be picked up by all of the major MSM. This is just devastating.
A jobless recovery just means the rich get richer.
The employment numbers for our area are a trainwreck. Anyone worth their salt knows in order to sustain any economy that it must include job growth. Just look at the number of graduating classes from local high schools, colleges, each year. What are these people to do? I suppose that the government wants to force everyone onto welfare as that is the only alternative to what is currently going on in our economy.
There is definately an exodus of a significant portion of our (paying) population.
This is the main reason why our crime rate is soaring to cataclysmic levels. However, I do not believe the majority of our residents realize just how important job growth is, otherwise, why would they be imposing so many regulatory barriers that are forcing them out of here. I just heard from a friend of mine who works for K&L inform me that they are going to downsize even more and that a portion of their manufacturing has already been moved from Salisbury to Puerto Rico.
Doesn't look like things are going to get any better either, the worse may still be yet to come. NO jobs = rise in crime. FACT
Our politicians don't want any growth. Most large businesses have all gone abroad or to other greener US pastures.
This is not a recession its a depression. The reason the politicians can't fix this problem is because none of them are business men.
And our planners are worried about growth!!! What growth!
According to the US Bureau's own information, at this rate Salisbury and Wicomico will cease to exist in just a few short years. If in less than two years Salisbury and Wicomico have lost 9100 workers, then in 4 years we will have lost over 18,000 or almost 20% of our entire population.
AND THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT GROWTH!!
Those Democrats should have never rigged that elections against you, Joe. You were the only THING that could have SAVED the area.
I have noticed an extremely high number of abandoned houses in and around Salisbury. No doubt this is a sign of a bad economy. I was just telling my wife a few days ago about how many I knew were abandoned.
This is a very bad economy.
Salisbury always has been a welfare town, hence all the rentals and democrats. Look even the council members are feeding at the trough!
Responding to 12:48 Posting
Well I will say this much about Joe had he been elected as Mayor. Joe Albero would have started to turn the tables by now if he had been in office. I am sure he would have used his business background experience to confront some of the business impediments in our area.
As a business owner who has been in business for more than 30 years, I can tell you that Maryland is a very hostile environment for businesses.
When you consider the highly fluctuating unemployment rate, tax rates, workmans comp rates, sales tax, licenses, in other words the whole gambit, Maryland is not a good place to set-up shop. And with the incentives that other locations have to offer, you can't blame businesses for relocating.
Reference 4:55 Posting
I know that the County Executive always refers to Wicomico getting a disparity grant because of it being basically a poverty rated county. My attitude is that there should be something done to try and change its chronic financial condition. This is why I had high hopes for Joe being elected.
The centre at Salisbury mall is on its way to becoming another rubble pile, went there today and was surprised at the food court, or lack thereof. If McDonald's can't survive the mall who can?
First of all the train wreck that is the eastern shore isn't something new... It has been in the long time making and there are lots of issues but to be fair blaming Obama, and democrats for all of the eastern shore issues would be foolish. Take a long look at any decent prosperous area and you will have a few of these things, large population, a well rounded mix of employment, low crime, and a mix of industry, tourism, corporate, and retail companies. The shore has lost a lot of those things over the years and when your down to tourism, and farming and they aren't even healthy it does look bad. There are no good answers to fixing things here... But finger pointing and complaining won't help much I can promise you.
Please, lets not distort things --
the data does not indicate a loss of 9,125 jobs during the period -- that number is a meaningless total of a series of comparisons -- looks at the actual jobs in the "employed" column. It's down somewhat, but not nearly 9,125.
With no companies with good high paying jobs coming here guess who's going to foot the tax bill?
8:20 lmao at you. meaningless? tell that to the people who got laid off from prmc or the ones getting the boot from k&l. or the ones looking for work!
spoken like a truly clueless person. Bottom line Salisbury is a little Baltimore with all the thugs drugs ghettos and crimes and no work!
Responding to 8:20 PM Posting
You have drank to much 'Kool Aid'.
How did you make your deduction - the numbers clearly show that we have in fact lost 9,125 in our county's workforce. We have 9,125 less people working today then we had in January 2012.
Are you Jim Ireton, Rick Pollitt, or Norm Conway?
Employed for less than a living wage 8:20, with that comes more government assistance to those of low income.
The same people who complain about the welfare system (landlords), don't mind getting government subsidies to pay someone's rent. They eat that crap for dinner.
A jobless recovery? Really?
5:03 You are dead NUTS on. Ireton is building a Section 8 art community downtown. Once this is complete, the West Main St area will become a huge GAY hangout spot. None of them will work, and require taxes be RAISED up to pay for them to "express" themselves all Day long.
K & L announcing terminations/layoffs today
These data indicate that during the period covered (Feb, 2011 to Aug, 2013) the number of jobs -- listed in the "employed" column actually increased by 869. At first, they increased, reaching a high point (2,828 more jobs) in July, 2012, and since then have declined from that high point by 1,959.
As someone once said: "It's the economy, stupid."
To 6:56 Posting
That is the way Martin O'Malley looks at the jobs numbers. He doesn't look at the bigger picture that shows just how many people have fallen out and are now displaced.
That is why all of the major networks, other than O'Malley, refers to this as a jobless recovery.
IMHO there is no such animal. We are basically in a welfare depression.
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