JEC Republicans: Government Policies Are Tipping the Scales Away From Work

WASHINGTON—Millions of Americans have fallen out of the workforce since the onset of the COVID pandemic, workers are quitting their jobs at unprecedented rates, and labor unions are striking as demand for labor continues to grow.

In a new report released today, the Joint Economic Committee Republicans’ Social Capital Project evaluates why so many prime-age, able bodied Americans have fallen out of regular employment—a decades-long trend that precedes the pandemic.

Our research finds that many would-be workers are voluntarily disconnected from work, and government programs and policies have likely made work less attractive for these Americans.

Work is more than a source of income—it’s fundamental to our ability to contribute and thrive. We recommend Congress address the policies that tip the scales away from work.

Rather than spending an additional $3.5 trillion on subsidies and reducing incentives for employment, Congress should focus on policy reforms that lift barriers, remove disincentives, and reconnect Americans to the benefits of work.

Click here to read the report.

The Joint Economic Committee is Congress’s bicameral economic research center and home of the Social Capital Project, led by Ranking Member Mike Lee.

 

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