The Jobs Picture Is More Complex Than It Seems
Some signs are good, some signs are bad.
Jobs
New Jobs Report Shows the Government Gets the Unemployment It's Paying For
High unemployment benefits are getting the blame for disappointing job growth in the midst of a worker shortage
If Biden Truly Wanted To Create Jobs, He Wouldn't Support the PRO Act
Destroying the ability of freelancers to make a living is union protectionism, not economic opportunity.
Biden Administration Retracts Claim That $2.25 Trillion Infrastructure Plan Would Create 19 Million Jobs
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg admitted the mistake and walked back the administration's job creation promises on Monday night.
The U.S. Economy Got Great News Today
We don't need Biden's 21st century 'New Deal' to rebound.
Biden's Infrastructure Plan Would Overturn 'Right-To-Work' Laws in 27 States
In his speech on Wednesday, the president called for the passage of the PRO Act, a grab bag of policies that labor unions have been pushing Congress to pass for years.
Californians Rejected a Harsh Law That Destroyed Freelance Jobs. Congress Is Trying To Make It Federal Law.
The PRO Act would demolish the gig economy for the benefit of labor unions and would undermine right-to-work laws.
Some Jobs Are More Equal Than Others
All professions deserve the same constitutional protections that speech-heavy industries get.
Democrats Can't Use Reconciliation To Pass a $15 Minimum Wage. Here's What They Might Do Next.
But the real reason why Democrats should abandon the effort to hike the federal minimum wage has nothing to do with arcane Senate rules or the filibuster.
Biden's Pick To Run Trade Policy, Katherine Tai, Promises More Efficient Protectionism
Trump's trade policies caused "a lot of disruption and consternation," Tai said at one point during Thursday's hearing. "I want to accomplish similar goals in a more effective process."
The Minimum Wage Is Terrible for America's Most Vulnerable Workers
Like so many well-intentioned policies, it hurts the people it's supposed to help.
The Trade War Drove American Automaking Jobs to China as Tariffs Stalled U.S. Exports
Further evidence that tariffs simply don't make sense as trade policy. President Joe Biden should take note.
Trump Promised a 'Good and Easy To Win' Trade War, Then Lost It
Five reasons why Trump's trade war didn't go the way he thought it would.
Stop Saying Lockdown Is 'Not That Hard'
Staying isolated from family and friends is wrenchingly difficult, even when it’s the right thing to do.
Remote Work Is Here to Stay and That's a Good Thing
Able to do our jobs from where we please, life for many of us will reflect a bit more of what we want rather than what we have to do to get by.
Americans Are Starting a Staggering Number of Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In a year that will be remembered for a deadly pandemic that shut down parts of the economy and cost millions of people their jobs, here's one silver lining.
The Rust Belt Made Trump President. The Bet Hasn't Paid Off.
If Trump loses his bid for re-election, it will be because Rust Belt voters abandoned him after four years of misguided economic policies.
Occupational Licensing Reform Is a Biden Policy We Can All Favor
Occupational licensing rules are more often arbitrary bureaucratic hurdles than they are protections for health or safety.
Trump's Visa Ban Will Slow America's Recovery
The net result of turning away foreign labor is greater unemployment—and lower wages—for native-born workers.
California's Job-Killing A.B. 5 Scaled Back, but Only for Some Professions
Rideshare drivers and delivery people are still going to have to beg voters to let them work.
Voters Will Have a Chance To Save Ride-Sharing and Delivery Services From California's Regulators
In November, California voters will decide on Proposition 22, a measure would carve out a contracting exemption for independent drivers.
Lyft, Uber Get Last-Minute Reprieve Before They Would Have Canceled Services in California
Lawmakers and courts are trying to force them to put drivers on their payrolls. They're threatening to take a freeway out of the state entirely.
Americans Are Growing Less Willing To Beg for Permission To Make a Living
Officials claim doing business is a revocable “privilege,” but many Americans see it as a right that they’ll exercise with or without licenses and permits.
Did Trump's Coronavirus Stimulus Save 51 Million Jobs? The Claim Relies on Shaky Math and Questionable Economics.
Even if it's true, taxpayers paid $58,000 for each saved job.
The High Risk of Learning the Wrong China Lessons
The trendy view of U.S.–China economic engagement lends itself to policy “fixes” that could make things worse, not better, for both the United States and the world.
Pennsylvania Is the Latest State To Loosen Occupational Licensing Rules for Individuals With Criminal Records
Finding a steady job is the best way to keep a person from going back to prison or jail. These changes make a lot of sense.
Florida Just Passed the Most Sweeping Occupational Licensing Reform in History
The Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act "will save thousands of Floridians both time and money for years to come," says Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The COVID-19 Recovery Is Starting. Extending 'Bonus' Unemployment Benefits Will Slow It.
If Congress extends boosted temporary unemployment benefits into early 2021, nearly five out of every six beneficiaries would be earning more money by not working.
Twitter Is Shifting to Remote Work. Will Other Firms Follow?
Will changes to how many of us work outlast the pandemic?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Thinks Fighting Income Inequality Is a Higher Priority Than Getting People Back to Work
"I think a lot of people should just say, 'No. We're not going back to that.'"
Unemployment Claims Hit 6.6 Million. It's Officially Worse Than the Great Recession.
Plus: The feds are still targeting Juul, Call of Duty wins First Amendment lawsuit, and more...
Pandemic-Related Unemployment and Shutdowns Are a Recipe for Social Unrest
That's a huge concern as forecasters expect the U.S. unemployment rate in the months to come to surpass that seen during the depths of the Great Depression.
Just How Good Is Trump's Economy, Anyway?
While the 2017 tax cuts didn't deliver the results promised by Trump and his magical-thinking supporters, the administration has delivered some economic expansion, some job creation, and some investment growth.
Trump Admitted His Trade Policies Have Hurt Manufacturing Jobs in His State of the Union, but You Probably Missed It
American manufacturing has been in a recession for the past year.
Will Robots Cause Mass Unemployment? A Soho Forum Debate
Martin Ford and Antony Sammeroff debate the impact of robotics on the economy
Arizona Governor Wants To Put the Public in Charge of Licensing Boards
Right now, most licensing boards require that the majority of members be from the same licensed profession. It's not difficult to see how that leads to anti-competitive rules.
Adding Jobs but Not Housing Is a Recipe for Urban Unrest
New York City has failed to zone for enough housing to keep pace with growth.
A $15 Federal Minimum Wage Would Destroy Jobs and Hurt America's Poorest Workers
Last week, The New York Times Editorial Board dismissed those concerns and called for a $15 national wage standard.
Trump's Trade War Has Hurt American Manufacturers More Than It Helped Them
That should be fairly obvious to anyone who has been following the news, but a new report from the Federal Reserve provides the empirical evidence.
Trump Will Sign Federal 'Ban the Box' Bill Into Law as Part of Massive Spending Bill
The law will bar the federal government and its contractors from asking about criminal history in job applications.
Forgotten Workers
The National Museum of American History display recognizes the throngs who helped enable America's westward expansion.
Target Employees Won The 'Fight For $15' but Weren't Ready for the Trade-Offs
Workers say they've had their hours cut and lost other benefits, such as health insurance. If only someone could have predicted that.
More Layoffs, Falling Stock Prices Show How Trump's Tariffs Have Harmed American Steelmakers
A Michigan steel plant annnounced it's closing at the end of the year, while U.S. Steel stocks are down 75 percent since Trump's tariffs were announced.
Pence Says North American Trade Deal Will Boost U.S. Automaking Jobs. Don't Believe Him.
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement includes a handful of protectionist measures that would likely slow the U.S. economy and harm American automakers.
Bill de Blasio's Proposed 'Robot Tax' Is Completely Unnecessary, Just Like His Candidacy
Forcing future Americans to do manual labor that could be automated isn't "saving" them from job losses. It's trapping them in jobs that could be made more efficient, more productive, and more rewarding.
Latest Trade War Casualties: More Than 10,000 Layoffs in August
The trade war should be thought of as a massive tax and regulatory scheme.
