Chicago Political Economy Group (Ron Baiman, Bill Barclay, Sidney Hollander, Joe Persky, Elce Redmond, & Mel Rothenberg)

A Permanent Jobs Program for the U.S.:
Economic Restructuring to Meet Human Needs

Released November 2009
Contact: Joe Persky, Tel. 312-996-2687 Email: jpersky@uic.edu
CPEG proposes the direct creation or subsidy of 3.5 million new high quality jobs by government each year for five years in public infrastructure, current social services and industries of the future. Jobs should pay the average wage of $18 an hour or $37.44 a year (2009). Workers should have benefits others enjoy, including the right to join unions. The
estimated cost for 5 years is $867.5 billion to be paid for by a tax on financial transactions as well as on high incomes and large aggregations of wealth, a change in budgetary priorities that shifts revenues out of the military and increases taxes on environmentally unsustainable production, with any remaining gap filled by the ability of the federal government to increase the money supply,

Proposal of William A. Darity, Jr.

A Direct Route to Full Employment

William A. Darity, Jr. (2010). A Direct Route to Full Employment. Review of Black Political Economy, 37, 179-181. Contact: William A. Darity, Jr., Tel. 919-613-7336 Email: William.darity@duke.edu
The proposal is for a federal job guarantee that would insure that all persons willing to work would be able to obtain work. Workers, who would be employed by a National Investment Employment Corporation, would be paid a minimum annual salary of $20,000 plus $10,000 in benefits (a mean of $40,000) . The jobs would address the nation’s vast unmet physical and human infrastructure needs, provide security for workers and improved health.
Working poverty would be eliminated, and there would be a chance for former prisoners to become useful members of society.

Economic Policy Institute, Demos and the Century Foundation

Investing in America’s Economy: A Budget Blueprint for
Economic Recovery and Fiscal Responsibility, November 2009.

The proposal is to create jobs and invest in the American economy through annual expenditures in the $200-250 billion range in the areas of child care and education; transportation, roads, bridges and water systems; health information technology, rural broadband connectivity, and “fundamental R& D.” Expansionary fiscal policy should be maintained until unemployment is 6% or less for at least 6 months. The longer-term goal of putting the federal budget on a sustainable course would be achieved through increasing revenues(taxing those most able to pay) and cutting costs in the areas of health care and military spending.

National Urban League (Marc H. Morial, Valerie Rawlston Williams, Cy Richardson, & Terry Clark)

NUL’s 6-Point Plan for Job Creation
Tel. 212-558-5300

The NUL proposes a 6-point direct investment program of $168 billion over 2 years, the largest portion of which, $150 billion, would provide financial support to cities, counties, states, universities, community colleges and nonprofit community- based organization to hire personnel necessary to offer critical services in communities. Eligibility would be based on local unemployment rates with a focus on the long-term unemployed. This would create 3 million jobs. The other 5 points in the 6-point program are job training for the chronically unemployed, greater access to credit for small businesses; additional counseling relief for those in the foreclosure process; and tax incentives for clean energy equipment manufacturers who employ individuals in the targeted communities.

Proposals of Robert Pollin

The Economics of Just Transition: A Framework for Supporting Fossil Fuel-Dependent Workers and Communities in the United States Robert Pollin, Brian Callaci October 13, 2016