Obama is having his jobs summit today; in fact it may already be over. In the spirit of wondering how to create more jobs, I noticed that Krugman has a solution:
Meanwhile, the federal government could provide jobs by … providing jobs. It’s time for at least a small-scale version of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration, one that would offer relatively low-paying (but much better than nothing) public-service employment. There would be accusations that the government was creating make-work jobs, but the W.P.A. left many solid achievements in its wake. And the key point is that direct public employment can create a lot of jobs at relatively low cost. In a proposal to be released today, the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive think tank, argues that spending $40 billion a year for three years on public-service employment would create a million jobs, which sounds about right.
That got me to thinking. There are currently about 15.7 million unemployed people in America. Almost all are receiving some form of unemployment benefits. How about instead of spending $40 billion a year for 3 years like Krugman says, we just make these people do the work he is suggesting and call ’em jobs? Why would we create a program to offer “relatively low-paying” jobs for people to work when we already have a program that offers “relatively low-paying” jobs where people have to do–NOTHING!?
Krugman. Sheesh.
Hat tip: Forbes
Pino:
You’re right that there are 15.7 million unemployed (at least on a seasonally adjusted basis). However, there are only 5.4 million (again on a seasonally adjusted basis) collecting unemployment.
For example, just over 10 percent of the unemployed (about 1.7 million) are teenagers who are unlikely to qualify for any benefits.
However, there are only 5.4 million (again on a seasonally adjusted basis) collecting unemployment.
Fair enough. I’ll have to settle for only creating 5.4 million jobs 😉
Oh, AND caulking windows too! hee hee