Ignoring Vocational Schools Ignores a More Prosperous Future
I came across a fascinating article in The Wall Street Journal recently that reported that due to Germany’s aggressive promotion of vocational schools and skills training, the German unemployment rate for young people is below 8 percent. Contrast that to a new report that one in four Americans aged 24 to 54 aren’t working. That’s an unemployment rate of 25 percent. For our teenagers it is even much higher. That’s a tragedy. But at the root of the problem... Read More
Corporate Tax Rate Driving American Companies Overseas
Time was when the United States was No. 1 in numerous economic categories. Unfortunately, we have traded our swagger in indicators that make us stronger for a tax code that makes us weaker: American companies face the highest statutory corporate income tax rate in the world — 39.1 percent. According to the Tax Foundation, this overall rate of 39.1 percent is a combination of the 35 percent federal rate plus the average rate levied by U.S. states. This puts the United States... Read More
A 21st Century Grapes of Wrath
We’re all familiar with the book The Grapes of Wrath, the depression tale of millions of desperate families during the 1930s that headed to California for promised jobs. I’m not suggesting we’re at this stage yet, but for millions of unemployed Americans, they are finding that the local job market has dried up and they may need to relocate to more prosperous areas. The good news is that there are plenty of jobs, if you know where to look. Jobs these days,... Read More
Our Disappearing Labor Force
The year 2014 is turning out to be a reincarnation of 1978, when we had an out-of-touch Democratic president who failed to spur the economy and help create jobs. In fact, the labor force participation this year equals that of 1978, when only 62.8 percent of American civilians 16 or older had a job or actively looked for work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is estimated that more than 11 million people have dropped out of the labor force under President Obama,... Read More
A Culture of Dependency
In most wars a victor is declared. Yet, there is one war that has raged for more than half a century and there is no winner: the war on poverty. It started under the Lyndon Johnson administration with the best intentions. Now 50 years and $20 trillion later, poverty in this nation has actually grown worse. How can the richest nation on earth have 50 million people living in poverty? The answer is that we have substituted a path to employment for a path to dependency. Entitlements... Read More
Regulations Are Killing Jobs
When companies must spend money to comply with an ever-increasing flood of federal regulations, they need to make cuts in other areas. This usually means holding off on job creation or even cutting their existing work force and employee hours. What does it cost American businesses to comply with excessive federal regulations? The Competitive Enterprise Institute puts the figure at $1.8 trillion a year. This amount is more than half what it costs to run the federal government.... Read More