Why Does Everyone Think the Economy’s in the Tank?

Yesterday I drove down State Roure 12 from Worcester, MA to Norwich, CT and in the process went through seven or eight towns. The road runs parallel to the French River which empties into the Thames River in Norwich but a century ago every town had at least one factory whose machinery was powered by the swift-running French River stream.

In half of the towns the red-brick factories have long stopped producing anything. The factory structures stand abandoned and are slowly turning into dust. But in three or four towns the factories have been refurbished, and judging from the cars parked outside, are still providing manufacturing jobs.

Every, single factory which appeared to be functioning had a big sign outside which says, ‘Help Wanted.’ As of August, Connecticut’s unemployment rate was 3.6%. In Massachusetts, the current unemployment rate is 2.6%, the lowest it has ever been.

Right now, Amazon is advertising for men or women who will drive their vans around and deliver all the crap that people buy online. They are paying $19 an hour, and all you need is a valid driver’s license, pass a drug test and don’t behave like an asshole during the ten-minute interview before they give you a job.

So, without any skills and not even a high school diploma, you can earn $35,000 a year with…