Second U.S. recession could be worse than the first

(Call it what it is...the beginning of a depression. If we used math instead of some 9 member panel of economists, the math would show we are 3 years into a depression. That panel of economists says we're in a recovery--HA!--jef)

By Kase Wickman - RAW Story
Sunday, August 7th, 2011

A second recession, what many are calling the double-dip recession, could be on its way, economists warn. And should it come, it will probably be even more devastating than the previous period of economic woe. 

“It would be disastrous if we entered into a recession at this stage, given that we haven’t yet made up for the last recession,” Conrad DeQuadros, senior economist at RDQ Economics, told the New York Times.

The Standard and Poor's downgrade of the U.S.'s credit rating bodes ill for the world's financial markets as well as the domestic market.

President Barack Obama, once the debt deal with Congress to avoid a debt default was struck, announced a pivot to focus on jobs.

"I'll continue also to fight for what the American people care most about: new jobs, higher wages and faster economic growth," Obama said in a statement to press after the debt deal was passed last week.

While the working age population has grown 3 percent in the past four years, the economy has 5 percent fewer jobs -- or 6.8 million less than four years ago. The U3 Unemployment rate stands at 9.1 percent.

Economists don't think another stimulus package will do the trick, either.

“There are only so many times the Fed can pull this same rabbit out of its hat,” Torsten Slok, the chief international economist at Deutsche Bank, told the Times.