New York Floats a Crackdown on Independent Workers
Like California’s ruinous A.B. 5, the proposal would greatly harm freelance employment.
Jobs
DeSantis Revokes Licenses From Businesses That Fail To Use Flawed E-Verify System
Floridians will bear the cost of DeSantis currying favor with immigration restrictionists.
ChatGPT Isn't Coming for Your Job (Yet)
Content-generating A.I. will probably enhance human labor rather than make it obsolete.
Pennsylvania's New Governor Dumps Excessive College Diploma Demands for State Jobs
More leaders should follow in the footsteps of Govs. Josh Shapiro, Larry Hogan, and Spencer Cox.
Survey: Americans Want K-12 Schools To Prioritize Practical Skills, Not College Prep
New survey results show that "Americans believe the K-12 education system should redirect its focus on what it means to successfully prepare American students—equipping them with practical skills that prepare them for life."
Ohio To Honor Occupational Licenses from Other States
While not a cure-all, universal recognition reduces the costs and time commitments of mandated training.
The FTC Wants To Outlaw Noncompete Clauses, but Does It Have the Authority?
The Commission's lone dissenter says Congress has not charged it with regulating noncompete clauses.
Lockdowns Had Little Impact on COVID-19
Data show Florida and New York had similar death numbers despite vastly different approaches.
Help the Working Class by Deregulating Housing Construction
Economist Bryan Caplan explains how cutting back on zoning and other restrictions could create millions of new jobs for workers - on top of other beneficial effects.
Charity and Capitalism Are Better Than Government
When I was young, I assumed government would lift people out of poverty. But those policies often do more harm than good.
How To Empower Millions of Independent Workers
Deregulation can help the millions of people who prefer flexible, independent jobs.
Subsidies To Help Workers Would Hurt Poor People
Some people would benefit. Others would lose money or be rendered unemployable.
'Secure Jobs Act' Would Cost New Yorkers Secure Jobs
Plus: Destigmatizing sex work, free markets and grocery store mergers, and more...
America Needs 'Low-Skilled' Workers
Yes, America benefits from immigrants who can write code. But we also need ones who can swing hammers.
Germany Is Planning To Reform Its Immigration Policies. The U.S. Should, Too.
With high job vacancies and a low birth rate, Germany is turning to the world to fill the holes in its economy.
Are Men Done? They Are Failing at School, Work, and Life.
Richard V. Reeves documents terrible trends and suggests solutions that don't come at the expense of women.
Divided Government Is Good. In 2023, Bipartisanship Would Be Better.
From immigration to drug reform, there is plenty of potential for productive compromise.
Drugs, Debt, and Masculinity
Plus: The editors wade into the conversation surrounding the modern dilemmas men face.
Americans Are Losing Their Work Ethic
Even reduced immigration and job openings for miles aren't luring America's ever-growing workforce dropouts back in.
Occupational Licensing Doesn't Mean Higher Quality Services
Plus: FIRE teams up with Ice-T, self-preferencing shouldn't be an antitrust offense, and more...
Most Americans Say Immigrants Make the U.S. Better. So Why Don't Politicians Do Anything About It?
Democrats pander to immigrants but do little to liberalize the system. Meanwhile, Republicans' hostility to immigrants has increased.
Hiring Formerly Incarcerated People Is Good, Actually
Some conservative media outlets and politicians lambast the practice. But if you care about public safety, that opposition doesn't make sense.
California Bureaucrats Want to Take Over Your Local Fast Food Joint
Where have we heard before about government councils dictating terms to nominally private enterprise?
COVID-19 Gutted College Attendance. Now, a Solid Labor Market Is Convincing More High School Grads To Skip It.
The number of high school seniors going on to attend college has plummeted in the past two years, deepening the already steady decline.
Mandatory National Service Is a Morally Bankrupt Idea
Frederick Douglass compared compelled labor to slavery. That objection still stands.
The Disappearing Differences Between Republicans and Democrats on Federal Family Spending
Many conservatives no longer appear to care much for fiscal conservatism.
New Jobs Report Shows Unemployment Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels
The better-than-expected employment numbers are fueling investors' inflation fears and causing the stock market to fall.
Don't Give U.S. Chipmakers a $76 Billion Government Handout
Making the U.S. semiconductor industry dependent on subsidies is not the way to stick it to China.
It's Becoming Easier To Get Permission To Work, But Not by Enough
Occupational licensing reform is a popular cause, but barriers remain too high.
Big Labor's Covert Plan To Kill Union Elections
Union partisans in the Biden administration want to bypass Congress and enact controversial labor policies by dusting off rejected 1940s-era legal theories.
Truckers Shut Down California Port Fighting for the Right To Be Their Own Bosses
The terrible consequences of A.B. 5 keep coming.
A California Law Regulating Ride-Share Apps Leaves Truckers in Limbo
The state's trucking industry fears drivers will quit or work out of state.
Biden Says the Deficit Is Falling. Actually, It's Rising.
Under Biden, Trump, and Obama, government federal spending almost doubled.
Inflation Triggers Mandatory Minimum Wage Increases in California
The state’s unemployment rate is well above average, yet there’s a ballot initiative hoping to push the minimum wage to $18 an hour.
Strong Job Growth Isn't Enough
Despite a promising April jobs report, the U.S. is still 3 million workers short.
Two California Lawmakers Want To Mandate 32-Hour Workweeks
It’s great when innovations let us work less, but top-down, inflexible government demands are not the way to get there.
Occupational Licensing Hurts the Vulnerable Without Helping the Public
Hispanics get slammed the hardest by licensing requirements that regulators can’t justify.
These Hair Braiders Might Kill an Idaho Licensing Law That State Officials Admit Makes No Sense
They've been practicing African-style hair braiding for a combined 60 years. Now, these three women are suing for the right to make a living using their skills.
When 'Pro-Worker' Policies Hurt Workers
Both Republicans and Democrats want to address poverty with big government.
The Federal Government's Pandemic Jobs Program Was a Resounding Failure
Most of the $800 billion Paycheck Protection Program went to business owners, not preserving jobs, according to a new study.
America Added 467,000 Jobs in January Despite Omicron Surge
The pandemic isn't over, but the economy is over the pandemic. Politicians should take note.
'We' Didn't Increase the Debt. Politicians, Congress, and Bureaucrats Did.
Using "we" implies a collective responsibility, creates the false impression that most people are on board, and hints that we'll share equally in the benefits.
Grocery Shelves Are Empty, but Immigration Waitlists Are Full
There is an obvious solution to America's ongoing workforce woes.
New York's Mayor Warned That COVID Shutdowns Hurt Low-Skill Workers. He's Absolutely Right. Twitter Got Mad Anyway.
Phony outrage is used to deflect from bad policy decisions.
Joe Biden Puts a Happy Gloss on Disappointing Jobs Report
Economists predicted that we'd see 575,000 new jobs in November. A new Bureau of Labor Statistics report says only 210,000 were created.