Articles by James Sherk

EconomyCommentary

November Jobs Report Shows Continuity, Not Recovery

James Sherk | December 05, 2016

November saw very little change in the U.S. labor market, according to a new employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employers added a… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Jobs Report Shows Little Change in Labor Market

James Sherk | November 04, 2016

The labor market didn’t change much in October, according to today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report. Unemployment and job creation have remained steady over… Read More

EconomyAnalysis

The August Jobs Report Was So-So. That’s Bad News.

James Sherk | September 02, 2016

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ August employment report showed little change in the labor market. Employers added a net 151,000 jobs. That rate of job… Read More

EconomyAnalysis

Encouraging News in July Jobs Report

James Sherk | August 05, 2016

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ July jobs report contained little bad news. The bureau found that employers created a net 255,000 new jobs since June…. Read More

EconomyCommentary

The Noise Behind the New Jobs Report

James Sherk | July 08, 2016

The new jobs report shows employers cranked up hiring in June, creating 287,000 net new jobs. But the last jobs report, for May, showed the… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Jobs Report Numbers at Odds With Obama’s Economic Spin

James Sherk | June 03, 2016

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama took an economic victory lap in Elkhart, Indiana. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment report, which came out Friday, shows he… Read More

EconomyAnalysis

The Key Economic Facts Obama’s Recovery Narrative Ignores

James Sherk | June 02, 2016

President Barack Obama took an economic victory lap in Elkhart, Indiana, on Wednesday. In a major speech he argued his policies have brought the economy… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Obama’s Overtime Rule Tried at IBM, and It Didn’t Work

James Sherk | May 19, 2016

Juggling work and family life is hard. On Wednesday the Labor Department made it even harder for millions of salaried workers. The administration’s new overtime… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Union Giveaways in Air Traffic Control Bill Set a Bad Precedent

James Sherk | May 13, 2016

The Aviation Innovation Reform and Reauthorization Act contains several reforms that move in the right direction. Notably, it removes America’s air traffic control system from… Read More

EconomyAnalysis

Mixed News in April Jobs Report

James Sherk | May 06, 2016

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April jobs report contained mixed economic news. The agency reported wages grew healthily, overall unemployment did not rise, and long-term… Read More

EconomyAnalysis

March Employment Report Shows Labor Market Growing

James Sherk | April 01, 2016

The March employment report showed continued growth in the labor market. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics found unemployment ticking up 0.1 percentage points, the… Read More

EconomyCommentary

This Company Wants to Make It Harder for You to File Taxes

James Sherk | March 18, 2016

The tax preparation company H&R Block is lobbying Congress to heavily regulate the tax preparation industry. This seems surreal. How often do businesses lobby Congress… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Minimum Wage Hike in DC Will Stifle Job Creation

James Sherk | March 17, 2016

Last summer, the District of Columbia increased its minimum wage to $10.50 an hour, which is currently the highest for any U.S. state or territory…. Read More

EconomyCommentary

Long-Term Unemployment Remains High Despite Strong February Job Gains

James Sherk | March 04, 2016

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ February jobs report showed continued growth in the labor market. The payroll survey reported that employers added 242,000 net new… Read More

EconomyCommentary

How Oregon’s $14.50 Minimum Wage Will Hurt Those It’s Supposed to Help

James Sherk | February 25, 2016

Good intentions can produce terrible results. Recently the Oregon legislature passed an unprecedented minimum wage hike in effort to help workers within their state, but… Read More

EconomyCommentary

The Economy Is Still Hurting, Despite Strong December Jobs Report

James Sherk | January 08, 2016

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ December employment report showed robust labor market growth. The headline numbers show employers added 292,000 net new jobs while the… Read More

LawCommentary

Making Investors Joint-Employers of the Small Businesses They Invest in, Is a Bad Idea

James Sherk | December 11, 2015

U.S. immigration law awards a limited number of EB-5 visas to foreign entrepreneurs who create at least 10 U.S. jobs. The program is not perfect,… Read More

EconomyCommentary

November Jobs Report Shows Positive Growth

James Sherk | December 04, 2015

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the labor market continued to grow steadily in November. Employers added 211,000 net new jobs, while the unemployment… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Are Unions Losing Their Grip in West Virginia?

James Sherk | November 20, 2015

West Virginia may well become the next right-to-work state. Bill Cole—the state-Senate president and probable GOP gubernatorial nominee—has made passing right-to-work legislation a top priority…. Read More

EconomyCommentary

New Jobs Added in October, but Long-Term Unemployment Remains a Serious Problem

James Sherk | November 06, 2015

The October jobs report showed the economy growing robustly in October—a marked turnaround from September’s disappointing numbers. The payroll survey reported that employers added 271,000… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Meet Bill Main, a Tour Guide Who Fought D.C. to Be Able to Give Tours Without Government Permission

James Sherk | October 05, 2015

Many politicians want to know what holds workers back. Too often they don’t need to look any farther than the laws they pass. One in… Read More

EconomyCommentary

How Do You Improve Worker Pay? Licensing Reforms, Not Unions.

James Sherk | October 05, 2015

What do today’s workers need? The White House appears to believe the answer is “a union.” At a summit Wednesday, the administration plans to showcase… Read More

 Commentary

September Jobs Report: Unexpected Weakness

James Sherk | October 02, 2015

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September jobs report showed unexpected weakness in the labor market. The payroll survey showed that employers created only 142,000 jobs… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Jobs Report Shows Some Growth, But There Are Warning Signs About Economy’s Future

James Sherk | September 04, 2015

The Bureau of Labor Statistic’s August jobs report showed little change in the labor market. The payroll survey reported employers added a net 173,000 jobs… Read More

EconomyCommentary

How This New Government Ruling Destroys the Franchise Business Model

James Sherk | August 28, 2015

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) just issued a ruling likely to destroy the franchise business model. To understand how far-reaching this could be, it… Read More

EconomyCommentary

What’s Wrong With New Study Claiming Huge Minimum Wage Hike Would Barely Raise Fast Food Prices

James Sherk | August 08, 2015

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, many journalists did not remember that when covering a new report claiming that… Read More

EconomyCommentary

The June Jobs Report Shows the Recovery Remains Weak

James Sherk | August 07, 2015

On the surface, recent jobs numbers represent solid economic growth, yet polls show that Americans continue to worry about economic conditions. Further analysis helps explain… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Unions Demand Special Treatment After Minimum Wage Hike They Backed Goes Into Effect

James Sherk | August 06, 2015

The Los Angeles city council will vote this week on exempting collectively bargained wages from its new $15 an hour minimum wage law. That’s correct… Read More

EconomyCommentary

Should Unions Give to Planned Parenthood Without Members’ Permission? This Bill Would Ban That.

James Sherk | August 04, 2015

Unions claim they’re for the little guy. They talk about big businesses putting corporate interests ahead of the average Joe. But unions have become quite… Read More

EconomyCommentary

What Paul Krugman Gets Wrong When He Claims Minimum Wage Hikes Don’t Cost Jobs

James Sherk | July 17, 2015

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote today about the relationship between minimum wage hikes and jobs. “There’s just no evidence that raising the minimum… Read More