Epstein on What Not to Do to Create Jobs

The Road to Economic Perdition

The recent onslaught of disappointing economic and political news continued to bring gloom and doom to the United States this past Labor Day weekend. With unemployment rates still hovering over 9 percent, all eyes anxiously cast about for a solution—a solution made more urgent when all the forward-looking indicators point in the negative direction.

What then should be done?

In Monday’s Labor Day speech, President Obama did not tip his hand. The short answer is to reject the most common suggestions, such as those for grandiose government initiatives put forward on a weekly basis by the New York Times. Congress should not rush to pass dumb legislation. The Federal Reserve should avoid unsound macroeconomic forays. Congress and the president should work hard to undo counterproductive labor market regulations.

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