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"Jobs and the Economy: A Citizens' Solutions
Guide," part of Public Agenda's Citizens' Solutions Guide series,
aims to improve the election dialogue on job growth and the U.S.
economy.
For most Americans, concerns about the nation's economy
relate directly to job creation and growth--after all, nearly everyone
needs a decent job.
Between 2008 and 2010, the nation lost about 8.4 million jobs,
and the unemployment rate soared, nearly doubling from 5 percent to
almost 10 percent. Though the worst of the Great Recession seems to have
passed, the Congressional Budget Office projects that unemployment won't
return to pre-recession levels until 2017.
Steps that spur the economy to grow faster may or may not
produce jobs at a proportionate rate, not to mention they may take lots
of federal spending. But moves to address the long-term trends won't pay
off anytime soon. How do we create more jobs in the short term while
looking ahead to a stable and sustainable future?
"Jobs and the Economy: A Citizens' Solutions
Guide" provides the background necessary for understanding the
complexity of our economy by examining the hole the recession left and devising
plans on how to spur job growth. Most importantly, it helps citizens
weigh the real tradeoffs that emerge from some of the approaches endorsed
by candidates and policymakers from across the political spectrum. These
options include:
- Investing in our infrastructure to provide jobs
in the short term and lay a foundation for the future
- Unleashing the private sector from red tape so
that businesses can make decisions for themselves
- Strengthening middle-class workers with
higher-level skills, higher minimum wages, and lower taxes
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