Government Jobs Untouched by the Great Recession

Government Jobs Untouched by the Great Recession

www.carolinajournal.com

RALEIGH — Gov. Bev Perdue and her Democratic allies have claimed that the budget passed by the General Assembly would decimate public employment in North Carolina. And yet during the current recession, government agencies have been spared the massive job losses that have afflicted private companies.

Public sector employment levels in North Carolina have been stable since the start of the recession in December 2007. It would take a loss of 63,000 government jobs to match the nearly 9 percent net loss that has occurred in the private sector during that time.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The private sector, government employees have been relatively sheltered since January 2008: Only a small portion of local governments’ workforce lost their jobs and federal and state employment grew. It is also reasonable to say that for almost a year-and-a-half, while the private sector was shrinking, the government increased. There is much more behind the growth of the federal workforce than the Census hiring of last spring. The remaining growth in federal employment is independent of the Census.

www.carolinajournal.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Govt spending is 41% of GDP, and regulations another 20% of GDP; total govt is 61% of GDP. We are Europe. Slow growth, high unemployment, lots of socialism.
Cut government in half, increase the private sector's share of the economy by 75%.

Are you implying that South Carolina is representitive of the entire country? Maybe SC has been spared lay offs but other states have laid off lots of workers.

reply to post by Surfrat


I just moved from NC a few months ago, and let me tell you that is one f**ked up state! One politician after another (all dem's) indicted for corruption and bribery charges. The former Ag commissioner served time for accepting bribes for the ride vendor at the state fair! If you want to see what is in store for the rest of America, just move to NC for a year or two. Man, talk about loss of personal freedom and socialism! NC takes top honors! I used to think Cali got that award, but now it seems like NC is trying to take it from them! So I am not surprised by this in the least.

That's because people are brainwashed into thinking these jobs are essential, without which you cannot have a developed nation. When you think about it, everything can be considered essential, so everything can be nationalized.

reply to post by Surfrat


Actually this isnt true. this article isnt' factoring job loss state by state. My state so far has shed almost a thousand jobs.

reply to post by Surfrat


I don't know about Carolina, but here in Florida, there has not been a raise in over 7 years. Last year they raised the amount we had to contribute to Health Insurance, and they cut benefits somewhat. This year, they raised the amount we contribute to our retirement, and they raised the retirement age by 3 years, and they stopped all cost of living increases for future retirees. So for two years in a row, our take home wages have been lowered.

In addition, the recent budget cut 1000's of jobs from the state payroll, erased all vacant positions, privatized large swaths of some agencies, and we lost many great programs that were serving the population well.

And don't get me wrong, I am a fan of Governor Scott, and I think we needed to make some large cuts. State employees are typically not very efficient or productive, and there is a certain mentality in government jobs that needs to be corrected, but lets not pretend we were unaffected by the recession/depression!

Plus, government jobs typically pay 25-50% less than an equivalent job in the private industry. This disparity in wages is somewhat accounted for with good benefits, retirement, holidays, and standard working hours. I took more than a 50% paycut when I left my corporate job and went to work for the state, but in doing so, I was able to get much better and cheaper health insurance, and I am now able to spend weekends, evenings, and holidays with my family instead of working. It was a calculated tradeoff, and it took some personal sacrifice to make ends meet on a much lower salary.

In summary, the article is just plain wrong.

The Governor's website where you can see any state employee's salary, and review any spending the state is doing. This website is the beginning of true transparency that Rick Scott has accomplished in a few months, and Obama is still avoiding.
Florida Has a Right to Know

My dept cut 1600 jobs
Total job loss 4500 or 3.55% of total workforce

Wow, there are some misinformed people in this thread. Time to pull your head(s) out of the sand.

Largest every federal payroll at 2.15 million employees in 2010. Link

Federal workers earning DOUBLE their private sector counterparts in 2010. Link

reply to post by jjkenobi


Also in your article:

The data are not useful for a direct public-private pay comparison," says Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union.

The government jobs that have grown the most are the defense jobs and homeland security. Because it takes people with skill to do these jobs. You have to get paid something for these skills. You want an anti terrorism agent to have a little education and experience. Not the kid with an AA in criminal justice.

Also, if you read your first link, the largest number of people hired are civilians, which means contracts. Many don't get benefits, if they did, the numbers would be higher.

but also know that these were the first agencies to be slashed. Many of the grants these agencies give out have been cut at staggering rates.

The only way the government can "create" a job is to hire someone. This creates another government job, but the money to pay this new government salary comes from raising the taxes of private-sector workers. Studies have shown that for every new government job, two private-sector jobs are lost. How does one create a private-sector job? It's simple if you follow the dollar trail.

I don't understand what the OP is advocating here? The removal of government jobs? We want more unemployed? How does this make sense. Over the last 10 years there have been more jobs lost than gained in the Private sector, this means after the Bush Tax cuts. Government is often intrusive and redundant but losing jobs in this economy seems like a STUPID idea. I understand this idea that a smaller government would regulate industry and attempt to open the "free market" which is just code for Corporate Communism; see Oligarchy for more info on this topic. However with skyrocketing profits and still a lack of job creation I don't see how this will correlate.

Please instead of attacking me by calling me a sheeple or leftist or shill of some sort, explain to me the logic used that would be counter to my points. Any reference material would be nice too. I would like to join the ranks of the people who think this idea would work as nothing seems to be working. As it stands now I feel it is a knee-jerk reaction and somewhere closer to the realm of la-la land.

Your lack of private sector jobs is directly related to Obamacare. I work for an insurance broker, and companies are waiting to see what is going to happen to them as these new healthcare laws start coming into play. They are only filling what is absolutely necessary to stay in business. Don't look for an upward trend for at least another year or so. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either misinformed, or talking out of their ass.

Originally posted by haarvik
Your lack of private sector jobs is directly related to Obamacare. I work for an insurance broker, and companies are waiting to see what is going to happen to them as these new healthcare laws start coming into play. They are only filling what is absolutely necessary to stay in business. Don't look for an upward trend for at least another year or so. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either misinformed, or talking out of their ass.

So why were jobs not on the up tick during the Bush Era?

Blame Obama, blah blah blah, It the lefts fault get a GOP in the Oval office and it will magically be fixed. The same issues were around for Bush too. Instead of being blinded by partisan politics and Fox News talking points realize this issue is far worse and more grand than Left vs. Right and bigger thann "Obamacare."

reply to post by LexiconRiot


Never said they weren't. That all started when gas hit $4/gal. People had to make a choice between gas and other things. They needed gas to get to work so other things got left out. People were maxed out and riding thin (which is their own fault) to begin with. Then their fuel costs doubled almost overnight and that set the stage for the housing bubble to pop. People had to make hard decisions and the house payment was the first to go. I am sure most thought "well, I'll just miss a couple payments and when gas comes back down I'll catch up". Never happened. Gas will NEVER go below $3/gal again. Once housing collapsed, it was the domino affect.

Now enter the new prez. Bailout king! Bailout wallstreet, bailout GM and other countries. Oh and while we're at it, let's ram healthcare reform down the American's throats even though 65% oppose it. The stage was set. Since the healthcare reform law has started to be implemented (Jan '11), new jobs have been on the decline. Even more is that corporate layoffs have started going up. Why? Because they are scared of what this new law is going to cost them. AT&T has estimated that their healthcare costs will increase by nearly $3M per year! john Deere is estimating a $2M year increase. So, there are the facts.

Now, before you start pulling your left vs. right argument, I am an independent. I believe the two party system has got to go. I have also been a businessman. I lost my business in '08 because of all this, so I know firsthand the effects of it. This has to do with common sense, and the will of the people, not some ideology by an elitist who is just a puppet for some big bankers. He could have made choices that would have benefited Americans, and yes Bush could have as well. But neither one did, and both are a t fault. But Obamacare has stifled anything that may have started to recover. And that too is a fact!

reply to post by Surfrat


Surely this is a good thing?

If government jobs had been as 'touched' as much as the private sector has been then the U.S.A. would now be a Third Wold Nation.

Socialism, it's just so godamn evil man.

reply to post by haarvik


Yes I understand how it happened, however that was a well stated post from you. You are obviously an intelligent person. Maybe you didn't know but the bailouts started under Bush. The worst thing to day Obama has done was continue Bush's domestic policies of catering to the Oligarchies. "Obamacare" is flawed and in need of fixing but it is the right idea. The only reason why companies cots would skyrocket is they would have to provided healthcare for all of their under-employed/part-time employee's which they current rob the ability to obtain health care with low wages and low hours. People don't really seem to grasp the real issues with healthcare and why it was in need of reform. 47 million people are the working poor and can not afford healthcare; Pair this with the estimated 23 to 32 million unemployed (probably more) and you are looking at nearly 70 million people who are perpetual reamed by the system created to keep them poor and dependent. American "exceptionalism" and pulling your self up by your boot straps are very noble ideas.To bad the system is built to keep you down once you are at this level.

reply to post by LexiconRiot


I don't deny we needed healthcare reform. However, there is a right way to do it, and forcing people to give their money to the insurance giants (who also back the bankers and wallstreet) is wrong. Costs have gone up since Jan '11, not down as promised. Insurance companies needed to have a leash put on them, and premiums regulated so as to make it affordable to everyone. Interstate exchanges needed to be allowed. There are a myriad of other items that could have been used, and implemented over a specific time frame that would have done a lot more good that what is in place now. just goes to show who our government favors, and it is not us!

Originally posted by haarvik
reply to post by LexiconRiot

 

I don't deny we needed healthcare reform. However, there is a right way to do it, and forcing people to give their money to the insurance giants (who also back the bankers and wallstreet) is wrong. Costs have gone up since Jan '11, not down as promised. Insurance companies needed to have a leash put on them, and premiums regulated so as to make it affordable to everyone. Interstate exchanges needed to be allowed. There are a myriad of other items that could have been used, and implemented over a specific time frame that would have done a lot more good that what is in place now. just goes to show who our government favors, and it is not us!

Yes I completely agree there are many many ways for this to have been done better. Thank you for realizing there is a problem with the healthcare system. I personally don't approve of "Obamacare" policies and think it was a very poor attempt one that should be replaced by real solutions. However, I often find myself in defense of reform as an ideal because most don't seem to understand that the system was very broken and destructive already. Thank you for an intelligent and insightful post. This is exactly my point of view. I just more could see the real issues beyond political lines.

reply to post by LexiconRiot


Unfortunately too many people have turned this into a left vs. right argument instead of what it truly is. Our lawmakers rarely do anything that is in our best interest. They do what is in their best interest, left or right. It is through education and self examination that we can truly see what is right for us as a society and not what TPTB tell us it is. We have become fat and lazy and expect DC to do everything for us. We are the power, we are the numbers, we CAN control this. But you have to make a stand, and you have to start somewhere. Talk is cheap. I constantly preach to make the small changes in your life to help effect change, and expand it to your community. We can take back our country, but you have to want it. You have to start your own personal revolution and allow that to grow. If there is one thing that the people of this country are good at, it's following the leader. You get enough momentum going and others WILL follow.