Congressional hearing on unemployment poorly attended

A hearing of the Joint Economic Committee recently met to discuss long term unemployment. Only 4 of the 20 committee members attended. No Republican Member attended.

Say it ain't so, Mr. King

Pity poor Bob King, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW). He recently spoke in favor of the Korean Free Trade Agreement claiming it was good for domestic automakers and their workers. The Economic Policy Institute estimates it will cost 159,000 domestic jobs over the next five years. King must be feeling a bit like another president whose taking a lot of flack from his leftist supporters. Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake and Huffington Post says its a bad trade - 800 jobs secured for the UAW, thousands lost for everyone else.

Minimum wage and job loss

Does an increase in the minimum wage cause a reduction of minimum wage jobs? In the past some studies suggested there is a job loss associated with increases in the minimum wage. But a new study, reported here, using comparisons between counties in different states with different minimum wages suggests neither short term nor long term negative effects on jobs occur as a result of increases in minimum wage requirements. Video here

Net job loss caused by public sector decline

Government sector employment declined by 159,000 last month while private sector jobs increased by 64,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate remained at 9.6%.

One solution to labor's decline

The Economic Policy Institute says the answer is simple: higher union density is needed to preserve the middle class. One blogger takes on the logic. Productivity declines is not the problem, but marginal performers will suffer job losses.

Ten year recovery?

The Center for Economic Policy and Research released a depressing study on job loss which suggests the jobs deficit wont be erased until 2021.

Digital piracy costs jobs

The AFL-CIO opposes piracy. Says it costs jobs, lots of jobs.

Job destroyer

The American Enterprise Institute has released a study which predicts EFCA, and its resulting increased union density, could cost 4.5 million jobs and reduce the gross domestic product by as much as 4%. The study notes a disproportionate effect upon small businesses and start ups. From 2003-2006  8,802 certification elections were conducted. Twenty-one percent were conducted at firms with less than ten employees, fifty-five percent at businesses with less than 30 employees, and 84 percent were at businesses with less than 100 employees.

Mapping a recession

Very interesting visual of job loss across the country.