Related Content: unemployment

Obama launches campaign against Romney, but his real opponent is the economy

Essential Reads

President Obama formally launched his reelection campaign here Saturday with some old favorites, from “fired up, ready to go” to a closing bow to “hope and change.” But almost everything else about the day spoke to the differences between his first and second runs for the president. The president used his rallies to try to begin to disqualify Mitt Romney. Yet the coming election is still more about him than his probable Republican rival.

May 04, 2012

Weekly Show

The U.S. and China continue to negotiate over activist Chen Guangcheng's travel to America. Plus, President Obama visited Afghanistan on the one year anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death. Also, new unemployment numbers and the 2012 presidential race. Joining Gwen: Martha Raddatz, ABC News; Peter Baker, New York Times; David Wessel, Wall Street Journal; Charles Babington, Associated Press.

The Pace We've Come to Expect

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For the second month in a row, America’s labour market has disappointed, once again raising questions about whether the economic recovery is truly entrenched. Nonfarm payrolls rose just 115,000 in April from March. While the unemployment rate dipped to 8.1%, the lowest since early 2009, from 8.2%, it did so for the wrong reason: the labour force (those working or looking for work) shrank by 342,000.

Working-Class Concerns Don’t Cause Romney or Obama Pain

Essential Reads

Amanda Thomas wanted to share with Mitt Romney her long list of worries: a health-care law that will hurt her husband’s business, the debt that will burden her 2-year-old daughter’s generation, and the financial anxieties of her parents in their golden years. “I’m worried about my baby and I’m worried about my parents,” she told the Republican presidential candidate, sitting at a picnic table in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

The Buffett Rule Won’t Get You a Job

On The Radar

On the seventh and final page of its background report on the "Buffett Rule," out this morning, the Obama administration finally dives into what it calls “the economic rationale” for imposing a new minimum tax rate on millionaires. If you’re an unemployed American, that placement should be your first red flag. The second should be the rationale itself.
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Obama Holds Key Leads on Romney, as Economy Malaise Looms over Reelection Bid

On The Radar

With the general-election campaign beginning to take shape, President Obama holds clear advantages over Mitt Romney on personal attributes and a number of key issues, but remains vulnerable to discontent with the pace of the economic recovery, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
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Veterans Return Home to Face Unemployment Battle

On The Radar

Bloomberg's Julianna Goldman reports that as tens of thousands of young veterans come home from the wars, many are struggling to find work with civilian employers who don’t recognize their skills, haven’t shared their experiences and aren’t sure what to make of them.
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Jobs Report Leaves Obama, Romney Campaigns Wary

On The Radar

The nation's steady-but-modest job growth presents political challenges for both of November's all-but-certain presidential rivals. Republican Mitt Romney needs an ailing economy to fully exploit his image as a "Mr. Fix-It" who can restore the nation's financial health, as he turned around the troubled 2002 Winter Olympics. President Barack Obama needs job-creation momentum to convince voters that things are moving in the right direction, even if millions of people remain unemployed.

April 6, 2012

Weekly Show

After three big wins Mitt Romney has scored more than half of the delegates needed for the GOP presidential nomination. Plus, new unemployment numbers shed light on the economy. Also, female voters, the President’s Supreme Court remarks and more. Joining Gwen: John Dickerson, Slate Magazine/CBS News; Karen Tumulty, Washington Post; Jackie Calmes, New York Times; David Wessel, Wall Street Journal.

 

120,000 Added Jobs in March, Less Than Expected

On The Radar

The U.S. economy added 120,000 jobs last month, less than expected and an indication that momentum could be slowing. Phil Izzo and David Wessel have the details.