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Second Gear

Economist Heidi Shierholz Economic Policy Institute

labor

Austerity Hampered Job Growth

Heather Boushey Market Watch (The Wall Street Journal)
Sharp cuts in government spending implemented March 1 as part of the sequester are slowing the recovery. The federal government shed another 14,000 workers in May, for a total of 45,000 jobs cut over the past three months. The federal work force now is smaller than at any time since February 2008.

Camping Out for Five Days, in Hopes of a Union Job

By Jessica Glazer New York Times
They set up their tents and mattresses on the sidewalk in Long Island City, Queens, unpacked their Coronas and cards – and settled in to wait as long as five days and nights for a slender chance at a union job as an elevator mechanic.
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