Maybe it's due to 2012 being an election year or maybe it's simply due to rising demand for products and services. Whichever is the case, it looks like the private sector is getting the message about jobs. That is especially true when we are talking about some 325,000 new jobs for the month of December 2011. That's an impressive number. For those of you wondering why... well the economy needs to add at least 150,000 new jobs just to keep up with the in surge of new graduates into the economy.

When you consider the enormous student loan debt that the average student is carrying these days (more than $35,000), it just makes sense to make sure new graduates have available jobs. On top of that, there are some 14 million or so unemployed across the country that still need jobs. You do the math, at a rate of 325,000 new jobs a month, it would take over 5 years to absorb those currently unemployed. Of course, that's assuming that at the same time we do not add any more unemployed to the mix.

It's hard to see how a pace of 325,000 new jobs (or better) can be maintained. Small business which account for more than 50% of the hiring have access to less than 50% of available bank capital to expand and grow business demand. Sounds like a classic catch 22. At least for now a few hundred thousand new hires can rejoice in the fact that it seems like the private sector is getting the message about jobs. That sure is a great way to start off the New Year. Let's see if that momentum continues.

Unless you just got of jail on parole or something then you probably have heard of Hermain Cain's plan to spur the economy and create jobs. The dubious 9-9-9 plan lowers corp taxes to 9%, personal income tax to 9% and introduces a national sales tax of 9%. Well, you've got to give it Cain, he's gutsy for even putting this plan on the national stage but where are the jobs? Hummh, maybe the plan really doesn't address job growth...you think. Maybe it's all just based on speculation that less taxes creates job growth. Unfortunately, that simply is not how it works, less taxes means the corporate big wigs get to spend more money on their mistresses and fancier private jets. What does any of that have to do with job creation? Beats the hell out of me...can't figure that one out to save my life. Maybe you can figure out how exactly Cain wants to create jobs with his 9-9-9 plan. Check out the video below.

Occupy Wall Street is picking up steam with now being its 24th day in the lime light. So what't the relationship if any to jobs and employment? Oh make no mistake about it there is a relationship between jobs and Occupy Wall Street. In fact, that seems to be the basis of the movement and protests. Why are so many people out of work, standing in free soup lines and begging for bread while Wall Street not only got bailed out of mess created by Wall Street but not a single person to day has been indicted for anything. Nothing, nada, zilch!

Government funding unpopular programs for the elite is nothing new. On the other hand, financing a Wall Street bailout, on taxpayers dollars, while the unemployment rate stays above 9%, millions continue to be out of work and no one goes to jail is well - bad politics. At least, bring someone in on charges. Make the public feel good - something, but to not even arrest any of the cronies that made this economic situation a reality is not cool. American's are tough and ok with weathering a storms that is felt across the board but when 99% of the worker bees are doing without while 1% are "living la vida loca," that just isn't going to fly. If you don't believe that look around you and ask why Occupy Wall Street is spreading like a wildfire. Then you'll see the missing link --- jobs.

With somewhere near 14 million people out of work, who needs a job anyway sounds like a dumb question huh? Well maybe it sounds dumb but it's really a question worth thinking about. In an advanced society with the GDP of the United States, what real economic drivers exist to create the jobs necessary to lower the unemployment rate to say something like 5%? Well, first and foremost, if I said it once, I said it a million times; no economic driver means no new jobs. Second, the private sector is the largest producer of jobs yet not many jobs are springing up from the private sector (perhaps due to no economic driver maybe?) which can likely be attributed to a lack of motivation to be innovative. Why take a leap into the unknown to be innovative if you are productive with the people you have and making a pretty decent profit doing so? Simply put employers are productive and unmotivated to take on new business initiatives. This is contrary to the trending side talk that it is in fact a lack of access to capital, low interest rate loans and so on. Sure, those factors are important to small businesses that employ less than 25 people but otherwise there simply is not any motivation for companies to hire.

So how do you motivate companies to hire? Well for starters, maybe it is a good idea to start thinking about whether or not it is a good idea to reward companies for moving jobs and cash overseas after they have amassed wealth in the United States. Come on really now, how many native Chinese, Japanese or Russian companies move a large percentage of their presence to the United States while leaving their native country hanging? It just does not happen but the US allows companies to do just that. This is the ugly side of capitalism that no one wants to discuss. Now assuming that wasn't the case, perhaps it's a good idea to transform the culture of the US such that everyday citizens believe in and become a part of the growth of the Country instead of simply expecting that it's someone else's responsibility to provide jobs to spend and live in blissful ignorance. Lastly, this idea that 5% unemployment is the benchmark that determines if the economy is doing well is in a word - outdated. Wake up folks 5% unemployment is a thing of the past. Move on. With technology and increased efficiency there simply is less and less need to create jobs to make the same if not better profit margins. So maybe, just maybe who needs a job anyway isn't such a dumb question after all.