Labor Practice--Great and Small

I read this Opinion, and to express How my mind works, immediately thought that I have not recently read anything on the effects of Employment of these consolidations. There has been much concentration on Price and Quality in these mergers, but real discussion of the impact on Employment has been absent. I would actually like some good material on hard employment, semi-hard employment, soft employment, and automatic labor Cuts. It might be that I have a poor Search pattern, or there might be a real pronounced lack of such data; a real curtailment in a Time of high importance for such materials. Understand that policymakers cannot make good determinations when there is a dearth of robust discussion from this arena.

I read this article, and I worry about the long-term consequences to Employment. It combines huge pressure on labor from two factors: Employers expressing an abdication from Employee support, and Employees generating new social patterns which minimize the centrality of labor within their social lives. How does an Employer regain Employee dedication to the labor, when they have to endure both Job insecurity, and loss of new Social contacts? This is especially a Question which must be asked when conducting many physical stressful Jobs. Iceland serves as a prime model, with high unemployment numbers, and a higher than usual number of such high-stress Jobs within their economy. I am simply saying that as goes Iceland, so goes the World; and I have great doubts for the World of Labor.

There may be one Job that economists still worry about, though I wonder if Anyone should. I would start off this discussion by saying I like Ben Bernanke, and don’t see how he could have done much different than which he has at the Fed. This said, I don’t think there is any other position in the US Government more desirous of having a Term Limit placed upon it. Many could question my motives, but it is basically the Need to validate previous policy, and to promote competition of Solutions sets to the financial policies of the Time. I would really be more worried for Ben, if I thought that he would soon join the Unemployment line. I could actually come up with a series of federal jobs which should have a one term limit, but Fed Chairman probably holds the top Spot, followed by Treasury Secretary. They should easily be joined by Defense, State, and Interior. I could even get radical, and state that the entire Cabinet be replaced every four years. Which makes me wish We could do the same for all Corporate CEOs. I am in a vicious mood this morning. lgl