The Local Jobs for America Act, one of the best proposals for large-scale job creation put forth by Congress, would create or save more than 675,000 jobs in community-based non-profit organizations and local governments over the next two years. Unfortunately, concerns over the federal budget deficit have created a major hurdle blocking the bill’s passage. New EPI research shows that the costs of those job creation efforts are significantly smaller than is often stated – and well worth the investment.
EPI’s new Policy Memo, Cheaper Than You Think, shows that while the Local Jobs for America Act, introduced earlier this year by Rep. George Miller (D. Calif.), would spend $75 billion over two years to create and preserve jobs in local communities around the country, more than half of that price tag would likely be offset by higher tax collections and reduced safety net expenditures.
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