Election Economy: A Cheat Sheet

• Jobs
• Unemployment
  7.9%

  October
  2012
  Jan. 2009: 7.8%
  Peak in Oct. 2009: 10%
  story source
• Jobs gained
  194k

  since
  January 2009 *
  Jobs lost in 2009: 4.3 million
  Jobs gained back since: 4.5 million
  story source
• Long-term unemployment
  5M

  out of work
  for 6 months or longer
  January 2009: 2.7 million
  story source
• Manufacturing jobs
  -586k

  change since
  January 2009
  Added since
  January 2010: 508,000
  story source

• Economy
• Economic growth
  2%

  GDP growth in Q2 2012
  Q1 2009: - 5.3%
  story source
• Income
  -7.2%

  change in median house-
  hold income since 1/2009
  2011: $50,054
  2001: $53,645
  story source

• Housing
• Home prices
  1.5%

  change since Q1 2009
  Median home price: $181,000
  5-year decline: 21.5%
  story source
• Foreclosures
  1.5M

  homes in foreclosure
  as of September 2012
  Foreclosures since 1/2009: 3.3 million
  Homes saved by HAMP: 831,661
  story source

• Safety Net
• Food Stamps
  46.7M

  on food stamps
  in July 2012
  Increase under G.W. Bush: 63%
  Increase under Obama: 46%
  story source
• Medicaid
  46M

  on Medicaid in June 2011
  31.7 million in June 2000
  43.6 million in June 2008
  story source

• Debt/Deficit
• Deficit
  $1.1T

  in fiscal 2012
  4th straight year of $1 trillion-plus deficits
  Highest since 1947
  story source
• Debt
  $16.2T

  and growing
  Growth since Sept. 2008: $6.1 trillion
  When we'll hit the debt ceiling: Year end
  story source