| The subject is constantly in the news and may | | | | develop longterm strategies and oversight of the |
| decide thenext national elections - the infamous | | | | U.S. labor market inorder to track trends, analyze |
| jobless recovery. | | | | data, research emergingproblems, and prepare |
| More than 8 million Americans are out of work | | | | early interventions. |
| with another 4million underemployed or no longer | | | | 2. Identify growing and potential industries and the |
| looking for work. Goodmanufacturing, technical and | | | | skillsthey will need in future staff. |
| services jobs are being shippedto India, Asia, and | | | | 3. Design a plan which allows for the rapid |
| other developing countries. The mood ofthe | | | | retargeting oftraining courses as Community |
| middle and working class becomes more | | | | Colleges and vocationalschools are traditionally 5 to |
| pessimistic, theoutlook for their immediate future | | | | 15 years behind currentneeds. |
| more grim. | | | | 4. Provide substantial tax incentives for businesses |
| Politicians debate solutions: abrogating current | | | | to hirein the U.S. rather than shipping their jobs to |
| tradetreaties, providing protection for various | | | | low incomecountries. |
| industries,investment in retraining programs, | | | | 5. Devise "red-tape-less" programs to reward |
| wishful thinking thatlower taxes will turn | | | | employers withsignificant tax credits for hiring the |
| everything around, the promise of alabor shortage | | | | long-term employedand new trainees. |
| within 15 years. | | | | 6. Overhaul the processes of State |
| Meanwhile, the population grows, demanding the | | | | Unemployment Offices byimplementing |
| creation of | | | | coordinated support programs in which |
| 150,000 new jobs per month just to stay even. | | | | workersparticipate as part of receiving |
| Where are themore than 2 million 2004 jobs | | | | unemployment benefits andemployers participate |
| promised by the Council of | | | | as a means of meeting their futureneeds for |
| Economic Advisers? | | | | staff. |
| They will come when the government truly | | | | 7. Provide incentives for employers to hire more |
| invests in thesocial and financial welfare of the | | | | part-timeworkers. Simultaneously, America must |
| working public. | | | | reframe its socialpolicy to promote a new work |
| Historically, the U.S. has looked at employment | | | | ethic of reduced work hours,along with increased |
| only intimes of crisis - recession or alarming | | | | leisure and volunteer activities, toallow more |
| unemploymentfigures. Rather than "quick fixes," | | | | workers to be employed, albeit for fewer hours. |
| we need a national long-range policy on | | | | Due to the negative emotional effects of living |
| employment which addresses the issue, ingood | | | | withoutwork, our society needs to stress high |
| times and bad, with sustained interest, analysis, | | | | employment ratherthan high productivity which |
| andsupport. | | | | often translates into fewerworkers, working |
| Here are seven proposals: | | | | harder and longer. |
| 1. Create a National Office of Employment to | | | | |