Malkin cites Katz in attack on unemployment benefits -- but Katz supports them in current crisis
On ABC's This Week, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin claimed that "it was Larry Katz, who was a chief labor economist under the Clinton Labor Department, who came out with a study ... that if you keep extending these temporary unemployment benefits, you're just going to extend joblessness even more." But Katz has reportedly said that should not be a concern during the current financial crisis because of the scarcity of jobs.
Malkin cited Katz in claiming extending unemployment benefits extends joblessness
From the August 2 edition of ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (host): One of the things we saw in those -- in that growth report that came out on Friday is that private economists saying that, in that case, the stimulus actually did make something of a difference, maybe up to a 3 percent difference in the growth --
AL HUNT (Bloomberg News): Yeah, and you hear that, George, from state and local officials, too. I think that's important. But I think -- I think, really, the nub of this thing working or this economy taking off at some point really is the consumer. And if the consumer gets confident -- there is no tech boom to propel it. There isn't -- there's not going to be a housing boom. It has to be driven by the consumer more than business investment, I think. And you said earlier, I think, that the consumers still are pretty skittish. And until that confidence comes back, or unless that confidence comes back --
STEPHANOPOULOS: And at what point are they going to be willing to come back without the incentive of $4,500 in front [inaudible].
MALKIN: Well, exactly. If you put enough government cheese in front of people, they're just going to keep eating it, and you're just kicking the can down the road. And just to hammer this point about the unemployment benefits extension again, it was Larry Katz, who was a chief labor economist under the Clinton Labor Department, who came out with a study -- and there are a lot of these smart economists who say this -- that if you keep extending these temporary unemployment benefits, you're just going to extend joblessness even more.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I don't know if I follow that. You're saying people are choosing --
MALKIN: That was a Clinton economist who said it, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: -- choosing to take the unemployment benefits when a job is available?
MALKIN: Seventy-nine weeks already, and then they're going to extend it by another 13 weeks. And what happens is, according to these economists who have seen it, including this Clinton economist, is that people will just delay getting a job until the three weeks before the benefits run out.
CYNTHIA TUCKER (ABC News contributor): Well, that might be true when there are jobs out there that are available, but there are very few jobs available at the moment. So I don't think people are just using that unemployment to be lazy instead of going out there searching for a job. Most jobs --
MALKIN: I'm not making a moral judgment. It's an incentive problem.
Katz supports unemployment benefits in current crisis because of scarcity of jobs
Katz, now a Harvard economist, says possibility of unemployment benefits extending joblessness isn't currently a concern due to the scarcity of jobs. As Crooks & Liars' John Amato noted, an August 1 New York Times article reported that, in the Times' words, Katz believes that the theory that prolonged unemployment benefits can "reduce the incentive to seek work ... should not be a concern now because jobs remain so scarce." Katz also reportedly told the Times that when people stop receiving unemployment benefits, many apply for disability benefits, which costs the federal government as well.
From the August 1 Times article:
Traditionally, many economists have been leery of prolonged unemployment benefits because they can reduce the incentive to seek work. But that should not be a concern now because jobs remain so scarce, said Lawrence Katz, a labor economist at Harvard.
For every job that becomes available, about six people are looking, Dr. Katz said. "Unemployment insurance gives income to families who are really suffering and can't find work even if they are hustling to look," he said.
With the economy still listing, he added, a temporary extension can provide a quick fiscal stimulus. And, Dr. Katz said, when people exhaust unemployment and health insurance, many end up applying for disability benefits, which become a large, unending drain on the Treasury.
I don't know if this is true or not, it could be her enemies trying to make Policital Hay.
How she serviced Bill O'Reilly is really none of my Concern.
Perhaps this is a "Teaching Moment" & other Ladies of the Evening should Watch, Listen & Learn.
Speak truth to power.
Mr. News
They don't seem to grasp the fact that very hard working poor people even exist. It narrows their view of America, shrinking it to a tight focus on the wealthy alone, and making everything (except taxes) seem much rosier and easier than it actually is.
The point she was making is that there's definitely a slippery-slope here, and while I'm not sure there are studies out there to confirm or deny, at some point there must be diminishing returns on extending the weeks of unemployment, and our politicians sure are good at rolling back "temporary" benefit extensions when the crisis over. Not.
You weren't referring to yourself?
I wasn't talking about scammers at all, I was talking about human beings who act like human beings and take what's easiest, usually. I'm talking about the difference in urgency of finding/keeping a job when you know your benefits are going to run out after, say, 100 weeks vs. 150.
I was -working and homeless, actually. The only time I've been jobless and homeless, I -did- qualify for food stamps. That kept me fed. In the course of a month, and on foot and living in vans and on the couches of friends, I turned in 150 job applications. It sounds as though perhaps epkklk851 may have made a typo, and I hope has not experienced homelessness or hunger. They are not fun, and nobody 'chooses' to be homeless, regardless of what Reagan said.
Unemployment benefits and food stamps have the largest impact on the economy on a dollar for dollar basis than anything else, including the beloved tax cuts of the right.
Sorry for you unfortunate circumstances.
While unemployment benefits and food stamps have an impact on the economy, it's short-term, as the means of production are not being increased by giving money away.
I understand it doesn't increase production to give money to poor people, dexteritas0071418, but it does drive demand up, even if artificially.
Guess you missed the THOUSANDS of people who recently showed up to apply for ONE janitorial job at a school.
The vast majority of people do NOT choose to lay around on the couch all day watching soap operas while collecting unemployment benefits.
Why do you hate Americans so much?
Some friends of mine are currently going through similar issues. She is working, he is not (plant being closed). He has been waiting 6+ weeks for unemployment checks, while looking and interviewing for jobs, her salary isn't enough. Guess what, decisions need to be made. What gets paid, what doesn't. Do you eat this week or pay mortgage, etc.
There is some truth to some people not finding work, as long as they are on unemployment but; problem is, that is a very small minority of people. Usually, a young kid, had a decent job, now doesn't. Lives with parents, no bills, no responsibilities, no issue with not having work. Since it is impossible to seperate all the wheat from the chaff, you will have a few of these. The rest of the people are seriously looking for work.
Well, at least we can all agree on the 'right wing liars' part.