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At Least the Census Is Hiring
For a Little While, Anyway
Washington, Apr 1 -
Preliminary reports indicate that tomorrow’s jobs report from the Labor Department will show a large increase in employment last month. Unfortunately, most of these new jobs aren’t the long-term, private sector opportunities on which sustainable economic growth relies.
“Private-sector employers shed 23,000 jobs in March, surprising economists who expected job growth last month and raising doubts that Friday's government report on March unemployment will be as positive as hoped.” (Washington Post, 4/1/10)
That’s the bad news. But hey, at least the Census is hiring!
“U.S. nonfarm payrolls probably increased in March, boosted by hiring for the decennial census and a snapback from February's weather-related losses....Analysts reckon census hiring could have boosted employment by as much as 100,000 in March after adding 15,000 in February.” (Reuters, 3/29/10)
Although we should probably say, “At least the Census is hiring…for a little while.”
“Many economists expect the government's temporary hiring of census workers to peak in May, and then turn negative in June, when workers are let go.” (CNBC, 3/31/10)
The Census is extremely important, and these temporary workers are no doubt necessary for its success. But once all the doors have been knocked on and all the surveys answered, these jobs will evaporate into thin air.
Also keep in mind that – like all government jobs – the salaries of these temporary Census workers are paid with money taken out of the private sector via debt and taxes. It makes you wonder why the Democrats have opted to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to stimulate government growth instead of focusing on getting the private sector back to work.