Washoe’s decline to 12.2 percent, based on a mid-month survey of employers and other market estimates, is more a reflection of a stagnant or declining workforce than outright improvement in the job market, said Bill Anderson, chief economist at the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
The president and Congress lately have been consumed by the much-needed legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system, and although that legislation is important, more attention must be devoted to repairing the economy.
Because of the severity of the economic downturn, Congress should consider a broad view of options. Robert Reich, the labor secretary under President Bill Clinton, told The New York Times’ Bob Herbert he would consider tax incentives for small businesses that create new jobs. He was careful to add that the incentives should not reward companies for employing people they would have hired anyway.
Other experts are proposing greater federal aid to states to help them pump money into highway construction and other infrastructure projects.
Those ideas are just two examples of what needs to be on the table. No matter what it does, Washington needs to move speedily to find ways to stimulate the economy and create more jobs.
Here are a few pictures I took at Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon today, including a couple of them from the historic lodge:
.jpg)
