Economist Dean Baker: No Reason To Accept Suffering Of Unemployment

http://www.laborradio.org/node/12169

Submitted by Doug Cunningham on October 15, 2009 - 2:35pm
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By Doug Cunningham

Economist Dean Baker with the Center for Economic and Policy research says not enough is being done to directly help unemployed workers and to stimulate demand that would put those people back to work. Baker says it will take until 2014 to get back to pre-Great Recession employment levels. Baker says the high joblessness is creating enormous pain and suffering and there's no reason to simply accept this situation. Economists, Baker says, know that government can boost demand in the economy and put people back to work. Baker advocates continuing to extend unemployment benefits and having the federal government financially support state and local governments. He also says a tax credit should go to employers paying them to shorten employee workweeks with no reduction in pay. He says that would maintain economic demand while putting more people back to work.