What we need to have to see job growth: less political bickering, says the NRF
We developed a soft spot for the National Retail Federation two months ago when we relied on that group to make sense of the scare-mongering arrival of credit-card surcharge fees. (Update: That's still not news.)
But today the country's largest retail association made an announcement in response to Friday's U.S. jobs report. Which is a dark and depressing announcement. In March the U.S. economy created a measly 88,000 jobs, not even half what the experts on Wall Street expected.
The NRF's CEO Matthew Shay sent out the following remarks. It should be mailed to every member of Congress.
“Today’s economic numbers on jobs and unemployment are disappointing, at best. Even the lower percentage of unemployment points to a discouraged job seeker who has given-up and left the workforce.
“A disturbing barometer of our nation’s fiscal health can be found in the jobs lost in the retail trade sector, the only sector that has pretty consistently provided a lift for our overall economy through this slow recovery period.
“This is far from a wake-up call. It is an urgent plea for help by Americans and the businesses that employ them for policy makers to stop pointing fingers and to start implementing policies that encourage job growth and capital investment.
“We need a bold, forward thinking and sensible fiscal plan that provides certainty and confidence for a stronger economic future in this country, as opposed to rhetoric and gestures that only serve as a convenient sound bite for the next newscast.”