| In this economy, politicians talk about how they | | | | within the space of our own airports. Not only has |
| have created or saved jobs for their constituents, | | | | outbound luggage screening been relegated to |
| but what does that mean, exactly, and in what | | | | what used to be the front-end of our airports, |
| context would that be good for us? There are | | | | but we've now also installed agents in the larger, |
| several examples of how they might go about | | | | more frequently-travelled foreign airports, to |
| performing such feats, and upon more careful | | | | screen passengers before they get onto their |
| examination, I'm not sure any of them are | | | | inbound flights. |
| actually to our benefit. | | | | Whereas we used to have some number of |
| Just to be sure we're on the same page, let's | | | | international airports in this country, each staffed |
| begin with a definition of these two concepts. | | | | with federal agents for security enforcement, |
| | | | think about how many foreign countries there are |
| 1. To "create" a new job means to do something | | | | and how many international airports each of them |
| that causes someone to be hired for a position | | | | has. I shudder to think about the number of |
| that isn't already held by someone else. If | | | | federal agents we must now employ to facilitate |
| someone else is being fired or replaced in order to | | | | this paradigm. The other countries don't do this, |
| hire the new person, it's a pre-existing job, not a | | | | so we're either being overcautious or they've |
| "new" job. | | | | figured out how to do it another way. Oh, and |
| 2. To "save" a job means to do something that | | | | although you've probably guessed, for sake of |
| prevents an existing position from becoming | | | | completeness, let me point out that the employed |
| eliminated, transferred, or outsourced. If an | | | | taxpayers are the ones paying for these jobs the |
| employee simply isn't working out and a | | | | politicians have created. |
| replacement employee is hired, while the original | | | | When politicians talk about creating jobs, I'm not |
| individual has "lost" his or her job, the job itself | | | | relieved; I'm incensed - it means they've hired |
| continues to exist. | | | | people with my tax money to perform some |
| With these definitions in mind, let's explore possible | | | | function that I probably wasn't missing before, |
| ways that someone might create or save a job. | | | | rather than do something with my money that I'd |
| Before we begin the exploration of this topic, | | | | really want done, like hire contractors to pave the |
| however, let's keep one important concept in | | | | roads. I'd prefer that they keep their meddling |
| mind: a politician represents all of his or her | | | | hands off and just let the economy take care of |
| constituents in government, and should act with | | | | itself. When they "create" jobs, we pay the bill, |
| their common best interests in mind; an individual | | | | and if these created jobs were truly necessary |
| without a job is just one of the politician's | | | | and important, don't you think someone else |
| constituents, and serving him or her should not be | | | | would have hired someone else to do them long |
| at the expense of the common good. Lastly, let | | | | ago? |
| me caution you in advance that the examples | | | | What about "saving jobs?" These are |
| provided herein will be instructional, but severely | | | | predominantly jobs that are being paid for by |
| over-simplified. | | | | something other than my tax revenue, so saving |
| Long, long ago, in a savannah far, far away, | | | | them must be good, right? Probably not. If you've |
| before Internet shopping, before grocery stores, | | | | followed stocks at all, when companies announce |
| and before even tribes, there was a period when | | | | layoffs the price of their stock typically rises. |
| each of our living ancestors of the day was | | | | When a company decides to relocate a division to |
| responsible for obtaining his or her own food. If | | | | a tax-advantaged state or to outsource a |
| you've ever camped, hunted, or fished, and if you | | | | department to another country where labor costs |
| try very hard to imagine feeding yourself without | | | | a fraction of what it does here, the price of their |
| the benefit of a rifle, bow and arrow, or rod and | | | | stock rises. Why, if jobs are being lost would |
| reel, you may begin to recognize that a sizeable | | | | investors bid up the price of such companies? |
| chunk of your day is expended just to find and | | | | Those investors know that the layoff will not be |
| overcome prey for yourself. My memories of | | | | random, but will predominantly be of the |
| camping always circle back to the fact that | | | | less-productive employees; the work will still all get |
| seemingly-vast quantities of firewood burn in | | | | done - just more efficiently. They know that the |
| much less time than it takes to collect them | | | | move to a state willing to provide tax concessions |
| Although I've never hunted or seriously fished, I | | | | will reduce the company's expenses, making it |
| can't imagine those efforts are more productive | | | | more productive. They know that while |
| than collecting firewood, especially when | | | | management and the executives will be retained, |
| performed without tools. Further, without | | | | the move of the company to a less expensive |
| refrigeration, even a large kill wouldn't last long. So, | | | | country will save a wad on labor and benefits |
| back in those days, all living people had jobs: to | | | | costs, allowing the company to either invest more |
| find and provide food for themselves. Those who | | | | back into itself or pay out larger dividends to the |
| didn't perform well at this job didn't feed | | | | shareholders. In short, they know that such |
| themselves and died. Employment=100%, but I | | | | actions will be good for the business, and for |
| doubt any of us would want to return to that era. | | | | them if they own the business. |
| Fast forward a few generations, and at some | | | | How would a politician "save" those jobs? One |
| point, someone discovered agriculture and | | | | way or another, he has to make up to the |
| domestication of livestock. Instead of wondering | | | | company what they would be getting if they |
| where the next meal might come from, people | | | | went ahead with their job-cutting plans. Guess |
| knew - it would come from the farmer or | | | | who's paying for that? Whereas I could pay less |
| rancher. The fruits and vegetables were growing, | | | | to buy my car if the manufacturer were able to |
| the chickens were laying eggs in their cages, the | | | | build it cheaper somewhere else, now, someone |
| cows could be milked at will, and the pigs and | | | | else will get the benefit of the cheaper car while |
| lambs could be slaughtered as needed. While killing | | | | my tax money goes to make it "cheaper" for |
| animals, picking produce, and preparing meals still | | | | that manufacturer, right here. Their employees will |
| required a little time, the bulk of the time that | | | | be happier because they'll still have jobs, but who |
| used to be required to track, stalk, find, trap, and | | | | is really paying for those "saved" jobs? It's not |
| carry food back to feed oneself was no longer a | | | | the employer, and it's not the people reaping the |
| factor. In fact, farming and domestication of | | | | benefit of the "cheaper" finished goods; it's the |
| livestock made food acquisition so much more | | | | local tax-payer, while his or her money is used to |
| productive that it no longer required 100% | | | | entice that company to keep those jobs here. His |
| employment in order to feed the population. | | | | taxes will either increase or the services he |
| While a comparatively-small group of people | | | | receives for his tax payments will be reduced to |
| continued to be involved in the food-producing | | | | cover the new job-saving expenses. |
| vocations, many were freed up to pursue other | | | | Creating and saving jobs are just two of the |
| interests. Some built the facilities in which the food | | | | latest euphemisms for redistributing the wealth. |
| production was performed or the machines that | | | | Yes, as I mentioned before, I know that some |
| performed the food production more efficiently | | | | people will be unemployed without such measures. |
| and some became security guards for those | | | | I also know that unemployment insurance is just |
| facilities. Besides those directly or indirectly | | | | another method of redistributing the wealth, so |
| involved in food production, trades were | | | | even if our politicians don't create or save jobs |
| established as some became cobblers, | | | | for these people, I know that those of us with |
| blacksmiths, fletchers, bowyers, tanners, builders, | | | | taxable incomes will still be paying to support the |
| and shipwrights. While one cannot subsist on a diet | | | | unemployed. The difference, however, is that the |
| of shoes, since the farmers could produce more | | | | creation or salvation of a job has a more |
| than enough food for themselves, they could | | | | permanent connotation to it, whereas |
| trade their surplus food for the cobblers' surplus | | | | unemployment insurance has a less permanent |
| shoes, and as a result, all parties involved enjoyed | | | | connotation. Salary is thought of as being |
| a higher standard of living. Whereas people | | | | indefinite, but insurance is thought of as paying |
| spending most of their day stalking prey might | | | | out a benefit and then being exhausted until |
| not have time to make good footwear, clothing, | | | | additional premiums are paid in. |
| homes, or tools, now, with most of the population | | | | The problem with the system is not that we |
| freed up by technological advances, there were | | | | need to invent jobs for people and not that we |
| opportunities for them to enjoy all of this and | | | | need to encourage jobs to stay here rather than |
| more. | | | | move to places where they can be performed |
| When we talk about creating jobs, this is what | | | | more economically or more efficiently (which |
| one might imagine as the shining example of job | | | | saves us all money on purchasing the fruits of |
| creation: a technological improvement in one area | | | | that labor). The problem is that we need the |
| that permits people to pursue other areas of | | | | unemployed hunter-gatherers to retrain as |
| interest, making the whole of civilization richer as | | | | cobblers. Anyone can still go hunt for his or her |
| a result. Upon more careful examination, though, | | | | own food, but not nearly as economically and |
| this really isn't job creation at all, but it's actually | | | | efficiently as big business can do it. This frees us |
| job attrition. 100% of people were employed in | | | | up to pursue other endeavors, but we must find |
| providing their own food, and then a huge | | | | ones that are profitable so we can earn enough |
| percentage of them were laid off, made obsolete | | | | revenue to buy that food from its producers. |
| by technological advances. OK - they weren't | | | | Should the government have saved every |
| really laid off - they could have continued doing | | | | buggy-whip manufacturer so that those jobs |
| what they were doing yesterday, and provided | | | | would be secure despite the fact that we no |
| food for themselves (just as you could for | | | | longer use horse-drawn buggies? Think about who |
| yourself), but systemization of the industry made | | | | would be paying for that. |
| them so ridiculously inefficient compared to the | | | | When I was "in between jobs" a bunch of years |
| alternative that they preferred to pursue other | | | | ago, I briefly collected unemployment insurance. |
| interests (just as you probably have). | | | | My experience with the system was that it was |
| So what do politicians mean when they say | | | | exactly backwards. Rather than encourage the |
| they've created jobs? Is it something along these | | | | unemployed to find work or to train for new |
| lines? Is it something by which they are freeing up | | | | positions, it encouraged laziness and passivity, and |
| swaths of population from dull, unproductive, | | | | in-fact discouraged employment and education. A |
| menial jobs to permit them to enrich society with | | | | minimum-wage job would have paid less than |
| art, poetry, and music? Probably not. When FDR | | | | unemployment insurance was paying me to sit on |
| did it, he hired people to build dams and bridges, | | | | my couch, and couch-sitting isn't quite as difficult |
| to build rock walls on property lines, and to | | | | and thankless a job as those that pay minimum |
| engage in parks and conservancy projects. While | | | | wage. Unemployment benefits, however, are only |
| these may seem like admirable projects and | | | | available to people who are ready and willing to |
| efficient use of otherwise unemployed labor | | | | work; those in school are predisposed, and are |
| capacity, why had the projects been put off until | | | | thus ineligible (at least that's how it worked at the |
| then, and when he hired those unemployed people | | | | time). |
| to perform such work, what happened to the | | | | I was similarly discouraged from putting time or |
| employees of the viable construction companies | | | | effort into my fledgling business; whether it |
| he didn't hire? | | | | earned a meager income that day or not, if I |
| Furthermore, these jobs weren't magically | | | | worked at it for a minute, calling prospects or |
| created - not only did he engage labor to do work | | | | reading bid documents, I was ineligible to claim |
| that wasn't important enough to do earlier, and | | | | benefits for the day. Unemployment insurance |
| not only did he hire the unemployed labor from a | | | | should operate on a declining rate; every week |
| section of the market that had been displaced by | | | | the benefit should go down. At some point it will |
| other better-run companies instead of hiring those | | | | make those minimum-wage jobs start looking |
| better-run companies, but he paid for it with public | | | | pretty good, and as if by magic, the unemployed |
| money. This meant that the people who still | | | | will find work. Unemployment services should not |
| managed to earn a taxable income during those | | | | only provide job retraining, but it should require it - |
| tough times were compelled to pay for projects | | | | on any day of claiming benefits, the claimant |
| that either weren't necessary or weren't | | | | should be required to attend a few hours of |
| economical, and that hired laborers who must on | | | | classes on resume writing, interviewing skills, |
| average have been less productive than the | | | | general education (math, English, foreign language, |
| laborers that weren't out of work, rather than | | | | etc), or specific job skills, such as basic computer |
| reward the well-run companies that were still in | | | | usage, typing, sorting & filing, or telephone |
| business and were still paying salaries to people. | | | | etiquette. Such classes could be offered in the |
| OK, so extreme situations may require extreme | | | | mornings, afternoons, and evenings, to permit |
| measures, but the mindset persists still today. | | | | time for beneficiaries to still apply for jobs and |
| President George W Bush created a lot of jobs, | | | | attend interviews. |
| too. The Department of Homeland Security that | | | | I don't want the government creating or saving |
| he created has ballooned into a behemoth. In | | | | jobs - there's no shortage of work to be done |
| addition to all the US Customs, Immigration, and | | | | already. Instead, encourage the population to |
| USDA agents that always used to be present at | | | | advance their skills, experience, and education, and |
| every US international airport and seaport, we | | | | to retrain or relocate themselves as necessary to |
| now also have an army of TSA agents. If you've | | | | find work. To hire them with my tax money or |
| travelled internationally recently, you may also | | | | to encourage some business to hire them with |
| have noticed that there are so many flights into | | | | concessions paid for by my tax money only |
| this country from around the world that we can | | | | makes us all less productive on average. |
| no longer even provide security for all of them | | | | |