Like Global Warming, More Job Creation

Update

And this might be part of the administration's problem: we don't do research (Pittsburg Tribune Review, Pennsylvania is a "swing state".)

With job creation grinding to a complete halt, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on Aug. 31 was asked this question: "Why do you think there have been so many jobs created in the last decade in Texas?"
She laughed and said, "Come again."

The questioner rephrased his query, adding a citation: "The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimates about half of the jobs created in the U.S. in the last decade have been created in Texas. Why do you think that is?"

Replied Solis, "I haven't done a lot of research in terms of the economic growth in Texas."

It appears that Solis has no interest in looking at how a state with 8 percent of the nation's population has created nearly half of the nation's new jobs over the past 10 years.

That exchange occurred on the final day of a month in which the United States experienced zero net job growth -- the first time that's happened since 1945.

Original Post

It seems every time we get a speech about "more job creation," there's a story on "job de-creation."

Old news (last week):

• Bank of America will cut 30,000 employees.
• US Postal Service will close 3,700 small post offices.

New news (today):

• Cut in defense spending will result in increase in unemployment rate by 1 percent (from 9.1 percent today to 10.1 percent, all things staying equal).
• US Postal Service looking at closing 250 mail processing centers including the ones at Devils Lake, Grand Forks, and (if you can believe this) Minot. Didn't Williston have a processing center many years ago? And that operation moved to Minot? I can't remember.

From the Bismarck Tribune:

The financially troubled Postal Service said Thursday it may close more than 250 mail processing facilities - including the facilities in Devils Lake, Grand Forks and Minot - across the country and plans to reduce service standards for first-class mail in an effort to cut costs.

Postal officials said 252 mail processing facilities across the country will be reviewed over the next three months for possible closing. Currently there are 487 such offices. That's in addition to about 3,700 local post offices also being reviewed for closure. Closing the mail-processing facilities could affect 35,000 workers.

But at least the half-trillion dollar jobs bill for teachers and school renovation will make up the shortfall.

By the way, "reducing service standards for first class mail": current standards -- one to three days depending on distance; new proposted standards, two to three days depending on attitude. Obviously this will have no effect on the average household, and for businesses, the USPS has said they will work with businesses to maintain service standards. I guess they would be referring to junk mail and circulars which need to be in mailboxes by Thursday for coupons good for the weekend.