Romney Campaign Press Release - The Obama Economy: Hostile To Women

"No false, recycled attacks can distract from the fact that President Obama's four years in office haven't been kind to women. Hundreds of thousands of women have lost their jobs, poverty among women is highest in nearly two decades, and half of recent graduates can't find a good job. Middle-class families have struggled in the Obama economy, and Mitt Romney has a plan to strengthen the middle class and get our country back on the right track." — Amanda Henneberg, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Under President Obama, Women Have Suffered From Fewer Jobs, Higher Unemployment, And The Higher Poverty Rate In Almost Two Decades:

Since President Obama Took Office,  The Unemployment Rate Among Women Has Increased From 7% To 8.1%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/8/12)

• Young Women Have Fared Even Worse In The Obama Economy — Unemployment Has Increased From 12.5% To 14.4%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/8/12)

Nearly 5.9 Million Women Are Currently Unemployed In The Obama Economy. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/8/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, 401,000 Women Have Lost Their Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 8/8/12)

The Poverty Rate Among Women Is The "Highest In 17 Years" And The Extreme Poverty Rate Is "The Highest Rate Ever Recorded." "Minorities and women were hit hardest. The poverty rate among women climbed to 14.5% in 2010 from 13.9% in 2009, the highest in 17 years. The rate of extreme poverty among women climbed to 6.3% in 2010 from 5.9% in 2009, the highest rate ever recorded." (Aamer Madhani, "Obama Team Urges Swift Passage Of Jobs Bill," USA Today, 9/13/11)

The Struggles Of Middle-Class Families And Recent Graduates Have Put Women's Economic Security At Risk:

"More Adult Children Moved In With Their Parents Amid The Recent Tough Economic Times In The United States..." "More adult children moved in with their parents amid the recent tough economic times in the United States, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released on Wednesday. The number of adult children living with parents increased 1.2 million to 15.8 million between 2007 and 2010, the Census Bureau said. Those ages 25 to 34 accounted for two thirds of the 823,000 increase in adult children living with parents during that period, according to the report." ("Adult Children Move Back Home In Tough Economy," Reuters, 6/20/12)

In 2011, More Than Half Of All Recent College Graduates Were "Jobless Or Underemployed, The Highest Share In At Least 11 Years." "About 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, the highest share in at least 11 years. In 2000, the share was at a low of 41 percent, before the dot-com bust erased job gains for college graduates in the telecommunications and IT fields." (Hope Yen, "1 In 2 New Graduates Are Jobless Or Underemployed," The Associated Press, 4/22/12)

"Nationwide Average Gasoline Prices Are Now 30 Cents Higher Than They Were Just Five Weeks Ago." "Nationwide average gasoline prices are now 30 cents higher than they were just five weeks ago. They are now at the midway mark between this year's high price of $3.94 a gallon -- hit April 5 -- and the recent low of $3.33 hit just over five weeks ago, according to AAA." (Steve Hargreaves, "Gas Prices Climb 30 Cents A Gallon," CNN Money, 8/7/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, The Average Cost Of College Has Increased By 25% At Four-Year Public Schools Across The Country. ("Trends In College Pricing," College Board, 2011)

Under President Obama, Family Health Care Premiums Have Increased $2,393 During President Obama's First Three Years In Office. (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2011)

And With Household Costs Increasing, Women And Middle-Class Families Are Struggling To Make Ends Meet:

Since President Obama Took Office, Median Household Income Has Declined More Than $4,000. "Yet real median household income in March was down $4,300 since Obama took office in January 2009 and down $2,900 since the June 2009 start of the economic recovery, according to an analysis of census data by Sentier Research, an economic- consulting firm in Annapolis, Maryland." (Mike Dorning, "Obama Fails To Stem Middle-Class Slide He Blamed On Bush," Bloomberg, 4/30/12)

Median Family Net Worth Has Hit A Two-Decade Low. "The Great Recession shrank Americans' wealth so much that in 2010 median family net worth was no more than it had been in 1992 after adjusting for inflation, the Federal Reserve reported Monday. Median net worth declined from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010, a Fed survey of family finances found. The median marks the point where half had more and half had less." (Martin Crutsinger, "Fed Report: Middle Class Net Worth Tumbles," The Associated Press, 6/12/12)

Average Weekly Wages Declined In 2011, "One Of Only Five Declines Since The Category Was Created In 1978." "Unemployment ebbs and flows, but one measure of the nation's economic health, average weekly wages, rarely dips. Until now. In the latest demonstration of the struggling economy that threatens President Obama's reelection, average weekly wages fell in 2011, one of only five declines since the category was created in 1978 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics." (Paul Bedard, "Wages Drop, Only 5th Time In 33 Years," The Washington Examiner, 7/2/12)