May 6, 2008
H-1B Workers: Highly Skilled, Highly Needed
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1916)
H-1B visas enable businesses to temporarily hire highly skilled immigrants to fill vital positions. Immigration opponents argue that workers on H-1B visas are not especially ...
April 30, 2008
More H-1B Visas, More American Jobs, A Better Economy
By James Sherk and Guinevere Nell
(Center for Data Analysis Report #08-01)
High-tech employers cannot hire needed new workers, and advanced fields like computers and mathematicals are at full employment. Raising the cap on H-1B visas for ...
March 31, 2008
Increasing the Cap for H-1B Visas Would Help the Economy
By James Sherk and Diem Nguyen
(WebMemo #1875)
Congress should allow America's high-tech industries to hire more skilled foreigners to work in the United States.
March 3, 2008
Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Determinations Need to Be Calculated Scientifically
By James Sherk
(Backgrounder #2111)
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division uses a highly flawed methodology to calculate Davis-Bacon rates and takes years to update wage rates after ...
March 3, 2008
Executive Summary: Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Determinations Need to Be Calculated Scientifically
By James Sherk
(Executive Summary #2111)
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division uses a highly flawed methodology to calculate Davis-Bacon rates and takes years to update wage rates after ...
January 29, 2008
The Stimulus: Extending Unemployment Insurance Is Unnecessary
By James Sherk and Patrick Tyrrell
(WebMemo #1787)
Congress has no economic or policy reasons to extend unemployment benefits.
January 18, 2008
Unemployment Insurance Does Not Stimulate the Economy
By James Sherk and Patrick Tyrrell
(WebMemo #1777)
Extending unemployment benefits would harm the economy.
January 7, 2008
Employee Free Choice Act Would Disenfranchise 105 Million Workers
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1768)
Congress should preserve secret ballot voting for union-organizing elections.
December 13, 2007
Congress Should Fix the Flawed Wage Determination Process Before Expanding the Davis–Bacon Act
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1743)
Rather than expand its coverage, Congress should fix the Davis–Bacon Act.
October 31, 2007
AgJOBS Immigration Bill Is Stealth Amnesty
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and Diem Nguyen
(WebMemo #1685)
Congress should reform and expand programs for visiting agricultural workers rather than use farm bill legislation to pass stealth amnesty.
October 30, 2007
Trade Adjustment Assistance: Getting Reform Right
By Daniella Markheim and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1682)
Expanding a program like TAA that has no demonstrated results would be irresponsible; expanding such a program while adding restrictions likely to make it even ...
October 24, 2007
Freedom of Religious Schools and Employers Threatened by ENDA
By Ryan Messmore and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1677)
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 could hamper job creation and does not adequately protect the rights of religious organizations.
October 17, 2007
The RESPECT Act: Congress Should Preserve Balance Between Management and Employees
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1667)
Proposed legislation would upset the balance of rights in the workplace.
September 21, 2007
Unionizing Public Safety Employees Threatens Volunteer Fire Departments and Public Safety
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1631)
A House-passed bill threatens the existence of many volunteer fire departments and could put millions of Americans at greater risk of fire-related injury or death. ...
September 19, 2007
Continuing the Effort to Curb Excessive FAA Salary Costs
By Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1622)
The President should veto legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration if the bill overturns a contract settlement with air traffic controllers that saves taxpayers billions ...
September 19, 2007
Congress Should Stop Environmental Blackmail by Unions
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1624)
Many unions threaten to delay or block the process of obtaining environmental permits unless a company agrees to build its facilities using only union labor. ...
August 31, 2007
Upwards Leisure Mobility: Americans Work Less and Have More Leisure Time than Ever Before
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1596)
While Congress focuses on income inequality, new research shows that lower-income Americans have disproportionately benefited from an increase in leisure time over the past generation. ...
August 30, 2007
Laboring Against Working Americans: Congress Should Not Cut the Office of Labor-Management Standards
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1595)
Rather than just the office that investigates corrupt union leaders, Congress should stand up for working Americans by protecting them from union leaders who treat ...
August 28, 2007
Use and Abuse of the Family and Medical Leave Act: What Workers and Employers Say
By James Sherk
(Special Report #16)
Congress formulated the Family and Medical Leave Act to give job security to new mothers and workers who needed to care for sick relatives. What ...
July 23, 2007
Davis-Bacon for Ethanol: A Special Interest Handout That Will Raise Gasoline Prices
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1562)
Congress should not raise gasoline prices by extending Davis-Bacon wages to the construction of ethanol plants.
July 12, 2007
Congress Deserves Praise for Dropping Collective Bargaining with Security Screeners
By James Sherk and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1551)
Forcing the TSA to collectively bargain would endanger American lives. Members of Congress from both parties deserve praise for striking this harmful provision.
...
July 6, 2007
The Public Safety Employer–Employee Cooperation Act Removes State Flexibility
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1537)
Legislation before the House would force states and localities to collectively bargain with unions representing public safety employees. Congress should not restrict the freedom of ...
July 6, 2007
Mandatory Collective Bargaining Creates More Problems Than It Solves
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1538)
H.R. 980 would create strife between governments and public safety workers and would impose an unfunded mandate on the states.
June 26, 2007
A Bureaucratic Nightmare: The Senate's Temporary Guest Worker Program
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1525)
The Senate's temporary guest worker program would force prospective employers to navigate a complex bureaucracy to prove that they need guest workers and dramatically reduce ...
June 13, 2007
Performance-Based Pay Driving Increase in Inequality
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1505)
Much of the increase in income inequality in recent decades is due to the expanded business practice of paying workers based on their individual levels ...
June 12, 2007
Collective Bargaining for Defense and DHS Would Undermine National Security
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1498)
Congress considers collective bargaining policies that would empower unions at the expense of national security.
June 11, 2007
Analyzing Economic Mobility: Compensation Is Keeping Pace with Rising Productivity
By James Sherk
(Backgrounder #2040)
Many commentators claim that incomes have lagged far behind increases in workers' pay, but the fact is that, if one counts everything that workers earn ...
June 4, 2007
Surety Bonds: A Better Solution Than Burdensome Workplace Immigration Enforcement
By James Sherk and William W. Beach
(WebMemo #1482)
To ensure that companies hire only legal immigrants, Congress should require them to post surety bonds guaranteeing that their employees are legally allowed to work ...
June 1, 2007
The Senate's Workplace Immigration Enforcement Proposal: Too Much Federal Meddling
By Wes Dyck, William W. Beach, and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1480)
Rather than place great and unnecessary burdens on all workers and employers, Congress should focus workplace enforcement efforts where they are likely to do the ...
May 31, 2007
Analyzing Economic Mobility: Measuring Inequality and Economic Mobility
By Paul Winfree
(WebMemo #1478)
There is no comprehensive measure of economic inequality and mobility, but several metrics, used together, can give a more complete picture.
May 15, 2007
Congress Should Consider Alternatives to Mandatory Paid Sick Leave
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1457)
Congress should make it easier for employees to manage the demands of work and family life, but requiring employers to provide paid time off is ...
May 10, 2007
Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Invites Misuse That Harms Co-Workers and Customers
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1450)
Congress should not exacerbate the problem of leave abuse by requiring companies to provide paid sick leave and preventing them from disciplining employees who abuse ...
May 4, 2007
STRIVE Act Marred by Prevailing Wage Provisions
By James Sherk
(Executive Memorandum #1025)
The Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act (H.R. 1645) includes a provision that would require employers to pay guest workers market ...
May 4, 2007
April Jobs Report Doesn't Rain on Sunny Economy
By James Sherk and Rea S. Hederman, Jr.
(WebMemo #1444)
Congress should ensure that job growth continues by rejecting policies that would put workers and employers at a disadvantage in the free market.
April 27, 2007
Binding Arbitration Could Force Workers into Underfunded Pensions
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1436)
Congress should not endanger workers' retirement security by allowing government arbitrators to force workers into financially unstable or insolvent plans.
April 23, 2007
How the Employee Free Choice Act Takes Away Workers' Rights
By James Sherk and Paul Kersey
(Backgrounder #2027)
The Employee Free Choice Act would strip American workers of their right to a private-ballot vote, require companies to submit to binding arbitration, and increase ...
April 23, 2007
How the Employee Free Choice Act Takes Away Workers' Rights
By James Sherk and Paul Kersey
(Executive Summary #2027)
The Employee Free Choice Act would strip American workers of their right to a private-ballot vote, require companies to submit to binding arbitration, and increase ...
April 12, 2007
President Must Veto Unconstitutional, Irresponsible War Funding Legislation
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1422)
The President is right to threaten a veto of Congress's legislation. Anything that falls short of the standards of constitutionality and responsibility must face a ...
April 11, 2007
NLRB Organizing Elections Favor Unions, Not Employers
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1421)
The current election laws favor union organizers, not employers.
April 9, 2007
Unions Use Corporate Campaigns to Circumvent Employees' Right to Vote
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1418)
To prevent unions from pressuring companies into giving up their workers’ rights, Congress should act to guarantee every worker the right to vote on joining ...
March 15, 2007
Water Quality Bill Marred by High Costs and Davis-Bacon Handouts
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1396)
Congress should strike a special-interest handout that would redistribute income from taxpayers to union workers, while making it more expensive for communities to build new ...
March 12, 2007
The Truth About Improper Firings and Union Intimidation
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1393)
Workers should not lose their fundamental right to vote for or against unionization in privacy as a result of labor activists' bad statistics.
March 8, 2007
A Higher Minimum Wage Equals Less Economic Freedom
By Tim Kane, Ph.D., and Anthony B. Kim
(WebMemo #1385)
Raising the minimum wage by 40 percent would lower the United States' score in the Index of Economic Freedom.
March 7, 2007
Unions Know that Card Check Does Not Reveal Employees' Free Choice
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1386)
In private, union activists acknowledge that workers often sign union cards because of peer pressure or harassment and that publicly signed cards do not reflect ...
March 5, 2007
Binding Arbitration: A Bad Deal for Workers
By Paul Kersey and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1383)
Under proposed legislation, workers would not get the chance to vote to approve some work contracts and would have to wait at least two years ...
March 5, 2007
Binding Arbitration for Unions Endangers Competitiveness and Innovation
By Paul Kersey and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1384)
Proposed legislation would give government officials unprecedented power to set wages and employment conditions throughout the economy and would reduce business innovation and competitiveness.
March 1, 2007
Interest Arbitration: Risky for Unions and Employers
By Paul Kersey and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1378)
Interest arbitration would shift employers' and unions' right to negotiate contracts to unaccountable government officials, increasing the risk of bad contracts.
February 28, 2007
Job Corps: A Consistent Record of Failure
By David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1374)
Based on strong evidence from Labor Department studies, Congress should move to eliminate this wasteful and unproductive program.
February 23, 2007
Card Checks Would Not Solve Alleged Problems with Union Organizing Elections
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1369)
Even if unions' complaints about private-ballot elections were true, forcing workers to vote in public would not end the alleged abuses.
February 21, 2007
How Union Card Checks Block Workers' Free Choice
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1366)
Due to union organizers’ techniques, card checks often do not reflect workers’ free and considered choice about union membership.
February 16, 2007
Workers Reject Card Checks, Favor Private Ballots in Union Organizing
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1363)
Most Americans, and most union members, oppose replacing private-ballot elections with card checks.
February 13, 2007
NLRB Union Elections Safeguard Workers' Rights
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1359)
Congress should not take away workers' fundamental right to a private ballot because of unions' anecdotes about private voting.
February 7, 2007
Union Members, Not Minimum-Wage Earners, Benefit When the Minimum Wage Rises
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1350)
Unions are not just being altruistic when they push to raise the minimum wage.
February 6, 2007
How Bush's Health Care Tax Plan Will Raise Wages
By James Sherk and Nina Owcharenko
(WebMemo #1345)
By limiting the tax relief for company-sponsored health coverage, the President’s health plan would encourage workers and their employers to review the structure of compensation. ...
January 23, 2007
Who Earns the Minimum Wage? Suburban Teenagers, Not Single Parents
By James Sherk and Rea S. Hederman, Jr.
(WebMemo #1320)
A minimum wage hike is a raise for suburban teenagers, not the working poor.
January 8, 2007
Good Intentions Are Not Enough: Why Congress Should Not Raise the Minimum Wage
By James Sherk
(Backgrounder #1993)
The minimum wage exacts a steep price for its ineffectiveness. It destroys jobs and discourages employers from hiring the least-skilled and least-experienced workers who most ...
January 8, 2007
Raising the Minimum Wage Will Not Reduce Poverty
By James Sherk
(Backgrounder #1994)
The evidence shows that (1) a higher minimum wage causes employers to cut back on the number of workers they hire and employees’ working hours; ...
January 2, 2007
Minimum Wage Hikes Hurt Unskilled and Disadvantaged Workers' Job Prospects
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1294)
Far from giving disadvantaged workers a leg up, raising the minimum wage cuts off the bottom rung of the career ladder for many lower-skilled workers. ...
January 2, 2007
Easing the Pain: Let States Opt Out of a Minimum Wage Hike
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1295)
Giving states the ability to keep their minimum wages at levels appropriate to local conditions would minimize the toll that a higher minimum wage would ...
November 14, 2006
Card Check Undermines Workplace Democracy
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1255)
Only private ballots let workers express their desire to join or not join a union without pressure or fear of retribution.
October 10, 2006
Economy Remains Strong: Unemployment Is Low and Workers Are Sharing in Productivity Growth
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1233)
A much-cited map misleads on median household incomes.
August 30, 2006
What Do Union Members Want? What Paycheck Protection Laws Show About How Well Unions Reflect Their Members’ Priorities
By James Sherk
(Center for Data Analysis Report #06-08)
Paycheck protection laws, which require workers to agree to have their union dues donated to political campaigns, provide an opportunity to test how closely unions ...
August 29, 2006
Unions in Decline and Under Review
By Tim Kane, Ph.D., and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1202)
Organized Labor in America has lost its way. The most telling evidence is that unions have been shedding members for decades. It is time for ...
August 4, 2006
July Jobs Report Isn't as Hot as the Weather
By Rea S. Hederman, Jr., and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1189)
A weak jobs report for a strong economy
August 3, 2006
Who Earns the Minimum Wage--Single Parents or Suburban Teenagers?
By Rea S. Hederman, Jr., and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1186)
Raising the minimum wage will not help low-income workers or single parents.
August 3, 2006
Low-Income Workers May Be Worse Off if Congress Increases the Minimum Wage
By Rea S. Hederman, Jr., and Sam Hyman
(WebMemo #1187)
Raising the minimum wage may cause some low-income workers to receive fewer government benefits.
July 28, 2006
Minimum Wage Workers' Incomes Rise When the Minimum Wage Does Not
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1181)
Hard work, education, and growing skills lead to higher wages. Government intervention does not.
July 27, 2006
Davis-Bacon Wages in Senate Immigration Bill Would Keep Immigrants in the Underground Economy
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1180)
Employers won't pay inflated wages, and so immigrants will remain in the shadows of the economy.
July 25, 2006
Raising the Minimum Wage Hurts Vulnerable Workers' Job Prospects Without Reducing Poverty
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1176)
Intended to reduce poverty, the minimum wage encourages teenagers to drop out of school and reduces low-income workers' future job prospects and earnings.
June 15, 2006
Hard at Work: Why the Unemployment Rate Accurately Reflects the Strength of the Labor Market
By James Sherk
(Backgrounder #1942)
The unemployment rate has fallen to dramatically low levels, and some economists believe that low labor force participation levels make this a misleading indicator of ...
November 4, 2005
The Heresy of Labor Markets: Congress Clamors to Reinstate Davis-Bacon
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #912)
Davis-Bacon makes reconstruction more expensive and delays rebuilding.
November 4, 2005
Should Federal Labor Policy Be Any Different After the 2005 Hurricane Season?
By Tim Kane, Ph.D., and David Muhlhausen, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1893)
Congress should fashion a labor policy in response to the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes that uses market incentives rather than direct federal action. It should ...
October 28, 2005
Wal-Mart's Perverse Strategy on the Minimum Wage
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #899)
Why does Wal-Mart want a higher minimum wage? To hamstring the competition.
October 19, 2005
"Recapturing" Visas: A Sensible Temporary Fix for America's Foreign Worker Problem
By Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #886)
This reform would increase flexibility, reduce the current backlog, and serve as the basis for further improvements.
September 2, 2005
Labor Day Review: In Katrina's Wake
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #828)
A recap of this year's economic and labor milestones.
August 5, 2005
Revised! Job Creation Better Than Ever
By William W. Beach and Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #815)
The new job number continue to impress--including big revisions to recent data.
July 28, 2005
The AFL-CIO's Disintegration and Its Possible Implications
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #808)
Could this be an essential phase for the rebirth of American labor?
July 28, 2005
The House Pension Reform Bill: A Good, But Not Perfect, Start
By David C. John and Rea S. Hederman, Jr.
(WebMemo #867)
While the bill would give a boost to pensions and PBGC, it still leaves several loopholes wide open.
July 8, 2005
5.0 Percent Unemployment: Better Than Good
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #788)
The economy approached the natural rate of unemployment.
May 6, 2005
Jobs, Growth, and the Washington Connection
By Tim Kane, Ph.D., and Andrew Grossman
(WebMemo #739)
April's job numbers were good; Congress can make them better.
April 12, 2005
U.S. Troops and Economic Growth: Regression Analysis with Robustness Tests
By Garett Jones and Tim Kane
(Center for Data Analysis Report )
The deployment of U.S. military troops to foreign countries has a positive relationship with economic growth in the host countries.
April 7, 2005
The Bankruptcy Bill and Debt Obesity
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #712)
The rise of bankruptcies is caused by a lack of accountability in America's bankruptcy laws.
April 1, 2005
April Jobs: Lower Unemployment is No Joke
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #708)
Nobody should doubt the health of the American workforce.
March 4, 2005
Minimizing Economic Opportunity by Raising the Minimum Wage
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #676)
Raising the minimum wage would cost unskilled workers jobs.
December 21, 2004
Medical Leave Regulations Should Reflect Intent Behind FMLA
By Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #626)
DOL's FMLA regulations allow abuse and should be fixed.
December 3, 2004
Jobs Gap Defies Expectations
By Alison Acosta Fraser, Tim Kane, and Rea Hederman
(WebMemo #616)
Today's job report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is still more evidence of an expanding economy, with job growth exceeding 100,000 for the ...
December 3, 2004
After Overtime, Now What?
By Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #617)
One of the most important stories lost in the last-minute rush to pass a budget last month was what Congress did not do: In spite ...
November 12, 2004
Congress Should Protect Secret-Ballot Union Representation Elections
By Paul Kersey
(Executive Memorandum #948)
A union should have majority support among a group of workers before it may represent them, and the best way to prove this support is ...
October 13, 2004
Insource More Jobs by Raising the H-1B Visa Cap
By Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #585)
Letting highly skilled workers into the U.S. is a smart policy.
August 16, 2004
Modernizing Overtime Regulations to Benefit Employers and Employees
By Paul Kersey
(Backgrounder #1789)
With the exception of some piecemeal revisions, the Fair Labor Standards Act regulations have not been updated for 50 years. New regulations, promulgated by the ...
August 16, 2004
Who Benefits From the New Overtime Regulations? A Data Analysis of the U.S. Department of Labor's Assessment
By Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D.
(Center for Data Analysis Report #04-08)
The new overtime regulation is a welcome and long overdue update, and it has broad implications for the more than 100 million workers who do ...
July 14, 2004
New Overtime Regulations: Modernizing Outdated Rules or Eroding Worker Protections?
By Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #535)
Contrary to the Economic Policy Institute's analysis, the new overtime regulation will improve protections for employees.
July 14, 2004
Closer Examination, Fewer Changes: A Rebuttal of EPI's White Collar Exemption Analysis
By Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #536)
The Economic Policy Institute says the new overtime regulation threatens the overtime protection of millions of workers. EPI's analysis is flawed.
July 6, 2004
In the Dark on Job Training: Federal Job-Training Programs Have a Record of Failure
By David Muhlhausen, Ph.D., and Paul Kersey
(Backgrounder #1774)
The history of federally funded job-training programs strongly suggests that reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) will not substantially raise participants' incomes. There is little ...
July 2, 2004
Flexibility, Quality, and Numbers: The Job Market Is More Than on Track
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #527)
Today's employment situation report from the Labor Department is more proof that the job market is solidly on track.
June 30, 2004
How Good Are the New Jobs?
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1773)
America is enjoying a jobs boom, with 1.4 million new jobs over nine straight months of payroll growth, but the real story lies in a ...
May 18, 2004
Labor Regulation in the 21st Century Economy
By Steven J. Law
(Heritage Lecture #836)
American workers deserve, instead of false information and partisan attacks, workplace regulations that reflect the realities of the 21st century economy and protect their rights ...
May 5, 2004
Ready to Compete: The Link Between Productivity, Jobs, and Wages
By Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #498)
Americans workers are producing more goods per hour of work and boosting their own incomes in the process.
May 4, 2004
More Trade, Less Assistance: Why TAA Should Not Be Expanded
By Sara Fitzgerald, Paul Kersey, and Nina Owcharenko
(WebMemo #495)
Expanding TAA would be expensive and could cost American jobs.
May 4, 2004
The Wrong Time to Extend Unemployment Insurance
By Paul Kersey and Tim Kane, Ph.D.,
(Backgrounder #1754)
The labor market's perceived weakness has led to calls for another extension of temporary unemployment insurance benefits, but this would increase spending by roughly $1 ...
May 3, 2004
The Economic Effects of the Minimum Wage
By Paul Kersey
(Testimony )
I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that increasing the minimum wage will do little to improve conditions for ...
April 27, 2004
The Real Story on "Stagnant" Wages
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #491)
Now that payroll jobs are growing, economic skeptics are falling back on a new line of defense: "stagnant" wages.
April 21, 2004
Extending Unemployment Insurance: Three Simple Charts Against
By Paul Kersey and Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #487)
Although the perception of weakness in the labor market has led to calls for another extension of temporary unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, this is a ...
April 20, 2004
The New Overtime Regulations: Clearer Rules, Fewer Conflicts
By Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #485)
The new regulations appear to provide much-needed updates and clarifications to exemptions from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
April 1, 2004
What's Really Happening with Jobs and Outsourcing?
By Alison Acosta Fraser
(Heritage Lecture #827)
Many proposed "solutions" to outsourcing and the current false perception of job loss are forms of trade isolationism that will not work, but policies like ...
March 25, 2004
The Myth of a Jobless Recovery
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(Executive Memorandum #917)
The economy's alleged failure to create jobs is an illusion that stems from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' payroll survey, which overcounts the jobs of ...
March 24, 2004
Will the Real Unemployment Rate Please Stand Up?
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #456)
Even pessimists know that a 5.6 percent unemployment rate is close to what economists consider the "natural" rate of unemployment. So where are all those ...
March 23, 2004
Domestic Violence Amendment Is Unnecessary and Burdensome
By Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #454)
An amendment has been proposed to the Unborn Victims of Violence Bill (HR 1997) to provide employment protections to victims of domestic violence. However, current ...
March 18, 2004
Extending Unemployment Benefits: Wrong Solution to the Wrong Problem
By Paul Kersey
(WebMemo #450)
Extending unemployment benefits would not address the underlying causes of sluggish job growth and, at worst, could make the problem of unemployment worse.
March 4, 2004
Diverging Employment Data: A Critical View of the Payroll Survey
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(Center for Data Analysis Report #04-03)
Policymakers and analysts should treat payroll data with caution when making comparisons to employment levels in earlier years. Because the best measure of job growth ...
February 13, 2004
Emergency Unemployment Benefits Not Needed as Economy Recovers
By Paul Kersey
(Executive Memorandum #914)
Economic indicators suggest that a recovery is underway, and that recovery is beginning to affect the job market. With jobs becoming more and more available, ...
January 28, 2004
The American Workforce: Strong Facts Trump Weak Myths
By Tim Kane, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #406)
Skeptics attribute lower unemployment to growing ranks of "discouraged workers" leaving the labor force, but that scenario doesn't fit the data.
June 24, 2003
Union Reporting and Disclosure: Legislative Reform Proposals - Consideration of H.R. 993
By Paul Rosenzweig
(Testimony )
The topic of Union Reporting and Disclosure Requirements and, particularly, the utility of adding civil penalties to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act ("LMRDA").
April 1, 2003
Principles and Reforms for Citizen Service
By Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1642)
Policymakers now have an important opportunity to rethink America's national service programs as they design a reformed version of the Citizen Service Act for consideration ...
April 1, 2003
Principles and Reforms for Citizen Service
By Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
(Executive Summary #1642)
bg1642es: Executive Summary: Principles and Reforms for Citizen Service
October 1, 2002
Congress Spends Billions on Ineffective Job-Training Programs
By David B. Muhlhausen
(Backgrounder #1597)
Job Corps is anything but the "highly successful" program it is touted to be, and Congress should move to eliminate this wasteful and unproductive program. ...
October 1, 2002
Congress Spends Billions on Ineffective Job-Training Programs
By David B. Muhlhausen
(Executive Summary #1597)
bg1597es: Congress Spends Billions on Ineffective Job-Training Programs
June 26, 2002
Union Reporting and Disclosure: Legislative Reform Proposals
By Paul Rosenzweig
(Testimony )
Union Reporting and Disclosure: Legislative Reform Proposals. Testimony before the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce and Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations ...
May 23, 2002
How the Labor Department Can Bring Common Sense to a Rail Contract
By Charles D. Chieppo
(Backgrounder #1552)
At the urging of the Federal Transit Administration, the MBTA opened the operation of its commuter rail service to competitive procurement. Ironically, as a result ...
July 31, 2001
Trade Adjustment Assistance: A Flawed Program
By Denise H. Froning
(Heritage Lecture #714)
Despite widespread support for the objective of the program, the effectiveness of the TAA program has been the subject of widespread debate.
July 12, 2001
Modernizing the Fair Labor Standards Act for the 21st Century
By D. Mark Wilson
(Executive Summary #1457)
BG1457ES: Modernizing the Fair Labor Standards Act for the 21st Century
July 12, 2001
Modernizing the Fair Labor Standards Act for the 21st Century
By D. Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1457)
Today, when both parents of more and more families have to work and the need for flexibility in work schedules is so great, the rigid ...
June 28, 2001
Who is Paid the Minimum Wage and Who Would be Affected by a $1.50 per Hour Increase
By D. Mark Wilson
(WebMemo #19)
Economic growth has slowed dramatically. Consumer spending is sluggish and investment spending has collapsed. Employment growth is weak and unemployment has increased. Inflation is up, ...
June 9, 2000
OSHA's Ergonomics Rule: A Costly Unfunded Mandate For The States
By D. Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1376)
OSHA's Ergonomics Rule: A Costly Unfunded Mandate For The States
March 2, 2000
OSHA's Proposed 'Ergonomics Program' Standard
By D. Mark Wilson
(Testimony )
Public Comment: OSHA's Proposed "Ergonomics" Standard
February 29, 2000
Unemployment Compensation Reform
By D. Mark Wilson
(Testimony #99999)
Unemployment Compensation Reform
January 24, 2000
President Clinton Puts Unemployment Insurance at Risk
By D. Mark Wilson
(Executive Memorandum #644)
President Clinton Puts Unemployment Insurance at Risk
January 10, 2000
OSHA's Retreat Does Not End the Threat to Working At Home
By D. Mark Wilson
(Executive Memorandum #641)
OSHA's Retreat Does Not End the Threat to Working At Home
September 30, 1999
Why Congress Should Consider Alternatives to Raising the Minimum Wage
By Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D., and Angela Antonelli
(Executive Memorandum #627)
Clinton and some Members of Congress propose raising the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour--an increase of nearly 20 percent.
September 29, 1999
Income Inequality: How Census Data Misrepresent Income Distribution
By Robert E. Rector and Rea S. Hederman, Jr.
(Center for Data Analysis Report #99-07)
Political debate on income in the United States often has been characterized as competition between two schools of economic thought.
April 23, 1999
Raising the Minimum Wage: Rhetoric v. Reality
By D. Mark Wilson
(Executive Memorandum #590)
President Bill Clinton and some Members of Congress are proposing to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour.
August 14, 1998
How Congress Can Lower The Cost of American Jobs
By Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1213)
How Congress Can Lower The Cost of American Jobs
August 7, 1998
Labor-Health-Education Appropriations: Eliminating Waste and Enhancing Accountability
By Mark Wilson, Nina H. Shokraii, and Angela Antonelli
(Backgrounder #1212)
Labor-Health-Education Appropriations: Eliminating Waste and Enhancing Accountability
August 7, 1998
Labor-Health-Education Appropriations: Eliminating Waste and Enhancing Accountability
By Mark Wilson, Nina H. Shokraii, and Angela Antonelli
(Executive Summary #1212)
BG1212es: Labor-Health-Education Appropriations: Eliminating Waste and Enhancing Accountability
July 15, 1998
How Congressional Conferees Can Improve Job Training Reform
By Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1203)
How Congressional Conferees Can Improve Job Training Reform
May 8, 1998
How to Improve The Consumer Price Index
By D. Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1177)
How To Improve The Consumer Price Index
April 20, 1998
California's Proposition 226: What It Means For Union Members and Thier Family Budgets
By D. Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1171)
California's Proposition 226: What It Means For Union Members and Thier Family Budgets
March 20, 1998
The UPS Strike: Labor Tilts at Windmills
By Leo Troy, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1165)
The UPS Strike: Labor Tilts at Windmills
March 20, 1998
The UPS Strike: Labor Tilts at Windmills
By Leo Troy, Ph.D.
(Executive Summary #1165)
BG1165es: The UPS Strike: Labor Tilts at Windmills
March 5, 1998
Increasing the Mandated Minimum Wage: Who Pays the Price?
By D. Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1162)
Increasing the Mandated Minimum Wage: Who Pays the Price?
March 5, 1998
Increasing the Mandated Minimum Wage: Who Pays the Price?
By D. Mark Wilson
(Executive Summary #1162)
BG1162es:Increasing the Mandated Minimum Wage: Who Pays the Price?
February 12, 1998
The Worker Paycheck Fairness Act: Ending the Involuntary Use of Union Dues
By D. Mark Wilson
(Backgrounder #1156)
The Worker Paycheck Fairness Act: Ending the Involuntary Use of Union Dues
February 12, 1998
The Worker Paycheck Fairness Act: Ending the Involuntary Use of Union Dues
