"Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
George Savage ·
Oct 19, 2011 at 3:01pm
Who knew? Senate majority leader and polymath Harry Reid reports from the alternate universe he's lately been visiting:
Back on Earth, our friends at the Heritage Foundation chart the actual changes in private versus public sector employment:
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Aug '11
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
There are, at all levels, 28 million government workers in this country - a bit less than one for every ten Americans. That's just crazy.
Crazier still are the kinds of government jobs we support. Just go to your local county website - or, even more depressing, to your state's website - and scroll through the directory of departments and agencies.
You'll find an endless list of LGBT youth outreach programs; green development agencies; anti-bullying programs - it goes on and on.
I'd estimate we could cut half of all government jobs and no one, other than the leeches who currently hold them, would notice a whit of difference.
Edited on Oct 19, 2011 at 3:28pmOct '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
A rather dissmissive statement and speaks volumes. It is clear, few remedies are available in the short run, this is one seriously damning statement on the convictions of this man.
Edited on Oct 19, 2011 at 4:31pmJun '11
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
The smooth delivery of downright lies from our federal politicians is unbelievable.
They will say anything they need to say.
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
Hmmm.... If I were Barack Obama (shudder!), I'd embrace that chart. I'd say, "Look, I didn't take office until early 2009, at which point private sector employment was in free fall. It takes 6-12 months for any President's new policies to be really felt in the economy. By the end of 2009, private sector employment had stabilized, and it has been growing ever since -- not as much as we'd like, but growing. Meanwhile, government employment has actually been shrinking throughout my term in office."
I'm not saying I agree with the hypothetical argument above -- just that if you only looked at that chart, it's plausible. Which makes me wonder why Heritage would produce it in the first place....
Aug '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
You know what is funny about your chart? It clearly demonstrates that inflated Public Sector hiring muted the unemployment problems being suffered in the Private Sector during the recession, and that Public Sector contraction is similarly obfuscating evidence of recovery in the Private Sector. There has been growth in the Private Sector for over a year now as the economy has been recovering on its own, but the jobs picture looks worse overall because of the reductions in Public Employees.
As the kids said a decade ago...LOL!
Apr '11
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
To quote Obi-Wan Kenobi's Ghost: "It was true from a certain point of view.
Dec '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
Steve Manacek: Hmmm.... If I were Barack Obama (shudder!), I'd embrace that chart. I'd say, "Look, I didn't take office until early 2009, at which point private sector employment was in free fall. It takes 6-12 months for any President's new policies to be really felt in the economy. By the end of 2009, private sector employment had stabilized, and it has been growing ever since -- not as much as we'd like, but growing. Meanwhile, government employment has actually been shrinking throughout my term in office."
I'm not saying I agree with the hypothetical argument above -- just that if you only looked at that chart, it's plausible. Which makes me wonder why Heritage would produce it in the first place.... · Oct 19 at 3:23pm
As Nathaniel Wright points out, another plausible argument that chart supports is that cutting employment in the public sector is a trigger for recovery of jobs in the private sector. Thus we should tell Reid that we want many more public sector jobs to disappear - they will be replaced with private sector ones, the kind that generate tax revenue rather than slurping it up.
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
The unstated problem: solid steady growth in total private sector employment is required simply to keep pace with natural population growth and net immigration. In this cycle we have never had the "catch-up" phenomenon typical in an economic expansion when rapid hiring absorbs unemployed workers. The result? Real unemployment (using the pre-1994 methodology) in excess of 20 percent.
May '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
I'm waiting for the AP FACTCHECK to correct the record for us.
Still waiting.
Feb '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
Looking at the graph you provided, if you used mid-2010 as your baseline, and if you argue that "increasing but not fast enough" = "doing just fine," then Reid is technically correct. That still doesn't change the following facts:
It really does illustrate the Beltway bubble mentality.
Feb '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
By the way, I was one of those who got laid off in the big drop in late 2008. I was fortunate enough to join the initial Ricochet team in mid-2009. Being out of work is pretty rough-- I know I had it easy compared to many others.
Oct '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
RE, Stuart Creque. One thing seems missing from the argument of investing in public jobs or the creation therein.
This appears to be a simple example of diminishing returns. More tax dollars spent for less revenue collected.
The best selling point to would be a P and L on some of the initiatives. An interesting approach that would be hard to fight. Access to real data is an issue, Darn.
Need a hammer.
Oct '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
jimgeraghty Harry Reid laments the "huge numbers" of public sector jobs lost, also known as the end of the Census. bit.ly/nlWkeC
May '10
Re: "Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine"
Most voters will be unaware of any "recovery" in private sector job...but be assured, they will almost ALL be aware of the city with the highest average earnings...because of government workers...