A march that was supposed to call attention to Minnesota's high unemployment rate for blacks and Congress's failure to pass Obama's America Jobs Act ended with 11 protestors in the custody of Minneapolis police Thursday night.
The 11 peaceful protesters sat on the 10th Ave. bridge, linked arms and refused to move until police cuffed their wrists, helped them to their feet and ushered them off for booking The clergy, union members and unemployed who took part in the march said they hope their actions bring change. But will it really change anything?
Minnesota officials reported the state's unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent in October, but the state lost 6,100 jobs for the month nonetheless.
Still, employers are slowing the pace of layoffs and cautiously hiring workers, often testing the idea first by going through temporary employment agencies. Construction firms hired 1,700 workers last month thanks to warm and dry weather and a smattering of residential housing projects.
So the question remains, do well intentioned protests urge companies and the government to hire more workers? If so, it remains to be seen.
Don't worry. There is plenty of time to test the theory. There are still nearly 200,000 Minnesotans who are unemployed and seeking work. Even with retailers picking up the pace of hiring for the holidays, more jobs are needed. Now.
