Makes Sense

The Real Unemployment Numbers

I'm weeping huge crocodile tears about those who have given up looking for work. And for those that are sitting around waiting for an offer that is not an insult to their lofty skill sets and minimum salary requirements. I agonize over those poor felons sitting in jail not being granted the basic human dignity of being included among the unemployed. I burn with outrage over all those military personnel -- and other government employees -- being considered employed, skewing the percentages. Come to think of it, they are just like the felons: they consume but they can hardly be said to produce what they consume, unlike the working stiffs of the private economy. Come to think of it some more, I think I'll start worrying about those who _are_ employed in the private economy: they are shouldering the burden of production for that huge leisure class Trader Mark wants included in the unemployment figures.

Hey, I've got an idea! If you consider yourself un- or under-employed, look around for unmet needs and figure out a way to meet them. Presto -- you're employed.

I would like to remind everyone of the iron law of incentives: If you want more of something (e.g. unemployment), subsidize it. If you want less of something (e.g. employment), tax it. Doesn't that suggest something to you? That's right, slash or repeal all taxes on employment: income tax, FICA, corporate income tax, etc. Of course then you will have to cut government consumption by transferring many government 'workers' to the private economy but just think what that means: all those consumers now become producers. I see a huge surge in employment on the horizon, don't you?