The latest unemployment rate was recently reported as 4.3%.  Whether this is due to Trump's policies, or to economic influences left over from Obama's policies could be the subject of much debate.  The reality is that it is probably some of both.  Not being an economist (either a liberal one or a conservative one), I can only give my ideas on employment.

First and foremost, the unemployment rate is not the same as the unemployed employables rate.

What do I mean?  I'm glad you asked!

The unemployment rate is the percentage of people who don't have a job who either have one or want one.

The unemployed employables rate would be the percentage of able-bodied people who are not working.

What are the issues here?  

Every able-bodied and able-minded person should contribute to society. I am fully aware that there are people who are not able to function on a day-to-day basis in a regular job.  A safety net should be available to them.  There are many people who, because of mental illness, are not able to work.  A safety net should be available to them. However, there is a group of people who are not working who could, but instead are sitting at home and cashing their welfare checks monthly. 

Able-bodied people who can work should be looking for a job to continue benefits.

Recipients of a government paycheck should be subject to a drug screen. When someone can't pass a drug screen, meaningful intervention should be instituted and mandatory for treatment of addiction for the betterment of the individual and for society (I don't mean marijuana, which is erroneously classified as illegal).

Many people love to bash some businesses  (Wal-mart or such places) as taking advantage of the system to pay lower wages to their employees, because some of them still take a bit of government help.  Look at it this way:

--Not everyone can afford to shop at  locally-owned businesses (my personal choice when possible), which do not have the buying power to keep prices low.  Even more hypocritical are the people who blast Wal-mart and at the same time shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, which are more acceptable to them, but result in the same closure of local businesses, simply because those stores answer to their elitist whims.  Let's frequent local businesses when we can, buy our organics at Whole Foods if we want, but not try to close the store that is more in reach of the people who are the less fortunate in society.  That's hypocrisy. 

--So, a person gets a job at Wal-mart--what of it?  I am thrilled that they are working and contributing to a business that can bring low-priced goods to the less wealthy in the country.  I will say this:  I would rather give part of a welfare check to someone who is working than a whole welfare check to someone who is home on his ass watching TV.  For many (I daresay most), this will be a first step in moving upward to a higher-paying job.

As more people seek employment, and consider moving to where the jobs are available, this country will be more successful economically.  We all must contribute.

We must also diligently contribute to the less fortunate in society who are not able to work for either physical or psychiatric reasons, and generously provide care and rehabilitation with the goal of helping even more people become contributors to a brighter future.

Enjoy life--work hard, play hard!

Anthony