One of the large corporations needs 200 workers right now in one of their factories. It was on CNBC, didn't catch it, just heard it. They can't get anyone to go to work. The starting pay is $12/hr. They intervied one person. He said he could make more on unemployment and working "under the table" for cash. Can't keep paying unemployment benefits forever. There are jobs, even minimum wage jobs available. However, not as many as necessary to bring up employment rates.
That is why, because I work in the energy business, if they would allow drilling and pipeline constrution, this would open up good paying jobs. It would also lesson our dependence on foreign oil, and bring the cost of gasoline down. Then they can take ethynol out and use the corn to feed animals and bring down meat and egg costs. Win-win all the way around.
Half our trade defict is in imported oil, eliminate that, then we have more leverage on China.