The united states ought to guarantee federal jobs

A Federal jobs guarantee (FJG) is a program that would provide government funded employment to citizens. Federal jobs programs have existed in the past in the form of FDR’s New Deal which provided employment to Americans in light of the great depression. Advocates argue that these programs would be beneficial in lifting people out of poverty by providing stable access to jobs. Critics on the other hand focus on how these jobs may affect other areas of the market negatively and suggest that it could be harmful for the broader economy.

Both advocates for a Federal Jobs Guarantee and it’s critics highlight the effect that such a program would have on private employers by causing them to adapt their job marketing and pricing strategies. Advocates see this as a positive step, by providing workers the ability to bargain their wages and setting an industry standards for the workplace. Generally speaking, they believe that this increased competition would foster conditions that allow for better workplace environments due to this. On the other hand, critics argue that the pressures that would amount from this are too great for many businesses to handle – one way they frame this argument is by suggesting that because the government doesn’t have a profit motive they’re able to be more flexible. Meanwhile, private businesses would be unable to compete due to their need to maintain profit.

A significant influence on the recent literature around Federal Jobs Guarantees is the impact that Coronavirus has had on the economy and on people’s financial stability. One thing that appears important to discuss is whether a federal jobs guarantee is necessary outside of crisis – for that reason there’s evidence that precedes the pandemic which could be utilized strategically.

In recent years there’s been increasing debates about whether a Federal Jobs Guarantee is the best method to prevent people from going into poverty. While there are a variety of debated alternative options to ensure economic stability, some of the most prominent that are discussed are universal basic income, universal basic resources, expansions on existing welfare, and negative income tax. Each of these have their own benefits and drawbacks that would be important to discuss.