Not all jobs can sustain a living wage...and those jobs should not be full time positions.

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U.S. employers added 1.4 million jobs last month. The unemployment rate fell to 8.4%, from 10.2% in July.

While the monthly snapshot from the Labor Department shows improvement, job growth has slowed since June, in a sign of what could be a long and painful recovery from the pandemic recession.

August job gains were boosted by the temporary hiring of 238,000 workers to complete the 2020 census.

The economy has so far recovered less than half of the 22 million jobs that were lost this spring. As of mid-August, more than 29 million people were collecting some form of unemployment benefits. That includes millions of gig workers and self- employed people who are not recorded in the monthly payroll count.

Two surveys this week showed expansion in both the manufacturing and service sectors of the economy. But while factory production accelerated in August, the much larger services sector appeared to be tapping the brakes.

What's in store for September? As industries see a combination of slow downs and speculative layoffs begin to come to fruition, where does this country stand as we prepare for the Presidential Election and Congress continues to fail to pass a new stimulus package?

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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It's the Documentary everyone is talking about. In this week's special episode of Pure Speculation, we're breaking down Netflix's new documentary titled The Social Dilemma. A look into how the fabric of society has been altered as we dive deeper into two different realities that have been created for you on your social media feeds. Is this move to manipulate users an intentional result for a desire to fuel profits? Regardless, the repercussions of a generation growing up on social is yet to be determined and if these trends continue, the future looks bleak. 

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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Math is Scary...but we're going to try some anyways.

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Is Gold part of your investment portfolio? If not, maybe it will be after listening to this episode of Pure Speculation. Once considered a fringe mode of asset collecting by preppers and speculators, Gold is having a moment. Surging past $2,000/oz in August, nearly 1 in 6 Americans have purchased Gold or some sort of precious metal in the last 3 months alone.

But is it really a solid investment strategy to avoid losing everything in an epic breakdown of society and the economy if you don't physically own your Gold? Will these prices continue to surge or has fear and panic created a Gold bubble? Your guess is as good as ours, but we're going to talk about it anyway.

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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When your Struggle becomes your Motivator.

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A little bit of a different format for this week's offering for the Podcast. Pure Speculation Host Zack Hayes joins the Podcast A Common Divide to discuss why Daycare facilities have been able to open but schools are pushing for online learning. As the conversation navigates beyond doors opening and the doors and shifts to the socio-economic impact that this will have for individuals, it started to feel like an Episode of Pure Speculation. So we've decided to bring it to our audience as well. Enjoy...but don't forget...The Struggle is Real!

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Are you a Thriver or a Straggler?

Welcome to the 5 Minute Speculation from StruggleState.com where we give you our take in 5 minutes or less. We know you’re busy...

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Across the country, parents are using Facebook to form “pandemic pods,” hiring tutors or out-of-work teachers to educate their kids as school district after school district announces that it will go partially or fully virtual. Beloved mom-and-pop stores are flooding sites such as GoFundMe to seek support from their sheltered-in-place patrons. Sick people are relying on COVID-19 relief funds and hospital-bill crowdfunding campaigns. And civic entrepreneurs are forming organizations that buy meals from down-on-their-luck restaurants and ferry them to exhausted essential workers.

These developments are a sign of American ingenuity. They are a measure of American community and can-do spirit, unleashed by social media and digital organizing. They are also a tragedy. The United States is forcing its citizens to bootstrap their way through a global catastrophe, saddling traumatized families with the burden of public administration and amplifying the country’s inequalities.

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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Don't get it twisted...Not all Debt is Created Equal in the Struggle State.

Welcome to the 5 Minute Speculation from StruggleState.com where we give you our take in 5 minutes or less. We know you’re busy...

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