After delivering speeches at the University of North Carolina and the University of Colorado yesterday, President Obama heads to the University of Iowa today to rally the youth vote and promote his proposal to enact a one-year freeze on Stafford Loan interest rates.
Missing from the speeches and politicking is the fact that
the president’s disastrous economic policies have left 1 out of every 2 college graduates struggling to find work, according to a
recent AP report:
The college class of 2012 is in for a rude welcome to the world of work.
A weak labor market already has left half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don't fully use their skills and knowledge.
Young adults with bachelor's degrees are increasingly scraping by in lower-wage jobs — waiter or waitress, bartender, retail clerk or receptionist, for example — and that's confounding their hopes a degree would pay off despite higher tuition and mounting student loans.
The report also states, “Taking underemployment into consideration, the job prospects for bachelor's degree holders fell last year to the lowest level in more than a decade.”
Despite the president’s strong efforts to garner support from college students, the tough job market has dampened some students’ enthusiasm.
University of Colorado student Katy Day, who attended the president’s Tuesday speech in Boulder, told the Washington Post, “I’m kind of ambivalent and apathetic about [the president] coming today. Because not a lot has changed that affects me directly.” Ms. Day also reports her boyfriend has had “zero job opportunities” since graduating last December.
Kelsey Boehm, student at the University of Iowa, echoed these concerns on behalf of her classmates. “During the campaign, we were inspired by Obama’s words but, for three years, we’ve been hurt by his actions. In the Obama economy, jobs for college graduates are hard to find,” Boehm said. “Too many are delaying their future because they can’t find that first job out of college. We are moving back in with our parents or working a minimum wage job — or both (if we’re lucky).”
Meanwhile, students at the University of North Carolina also expressed cynicism about the president’s visit, stating their excitement has “fizzled.”
Former University of Colorado president Hank Brown told the Denver Post that President Obama has earned a grade of F when it comes to helping college students, noting, “He failed them because we have the highest level of unemployment for youth in this country in recorded history.”
The president’s record of bad policies has led to a stagnant economy and high unemployment for college graduates – and no number of stump speeches can convince the American people otherwise. While President Obama continues his college tour, House Republicans are advancing policies that will help rebuild our economy and create certainty for students, taxpayers, and job creators.
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