A negative trend remains intact in the employment report today. A loss of state and local jobs continue as local governments are constrained by budget short falls that is no longer offset by federal help. State, cities and villages laid off 39,000 workers in July and 340,000 over the past year.
Some among us would say that is a good thing; “lazy government workers are finally getting what everyone else has.” There are two problems with that, first, government workers are no more or less lazy than private sector employees. Second, now is the time we need wage demand to push the local economy off dead center. Local employment spends money locally that circulates into local tax revenue and so on.
When you hear the Village Board discuss layoffs as a way of balancing the budget don’t cheer too loud. It is a good sign the ‘Little Depression’ marches on.
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