JOBLESS RATE HAS BIG IMPACT ON AMERICAN LIVES

For a good many Americans of a certain age, the current national unemployment rate is a wonder to behold. There are still plenty of folks who remember the Depression and everything that went with it. In particular, they remember when jobs were few and far between. They recall the economic hardships of not having a job. And they hope the current high employment rate can last forever.

According to recent reports from the Labor Department, unemployment is the lowest it has been in 30 years. In January, the Labor Department said, the jobless rate was at 4 percent across the country. The last time the rate was lower was in January 1970, when it stood at 3.9 percent.

In order to achieve such low rates of unemployment, there have to be jobs. Nearly 390,000 new jobs were created in January alone, according to the government statistics. This is an indicator not just of a strong economy, but on an economy that may be growing too fast.

It's hard to understand these economic indicators, especially for those who remember when a growing economy couldn't be counted as anything but a good thing. The economy has been good for a long time now, and virtually every aspect of American life has been touched as a result.

For example, the overhaul of the federal welfare system would never have been possible in a bad economy. The jobs wouldn't have been there. The government wouldn't have collected enough taxes to pay the enormous cost of shifting from an easy welfare system to a tough workfare system.

And speaking of tax collections: Both federal and state governments have been enjoying their biggest revenue years in history -- accompanied by some of the biggest spending in history as well.

Americans are spending more than ever on discretionary items such as recreation, home improvement, electronics (particularly those related to the Internet) and personal automobiles.

With the number of employed Americans growing steadily, the number of investors in the stock markets also has increased. This is due, at least in part, to tax-deferred pension plans offered by many companies that invest heavily, if not totally, in stocks.

While the national unemployment rate is low, some states and counties have even lower rates to boast about. As a matter of fact, rural Nodaway County in Northwest Missouri held the distinction of having the lowest jobless rate of any county in America during December. Labor officials said there were a theoretical 85 individuals in the county without jobs as 1999 drew to a close.

A stable and dependable workforce, a strong retail center and a state university (Northwest Missouri State University) all contribute to Nodaway County's low unemployment.

Of course, all of that sounds pretty familiar to folks in Southeast Missouri, which also is enjoying low unemployment.