Results tagged “jobs bill” from EdLabor Journal

The number of job openings in the U.S. economy is rising for the first time since April, a strong signal that the economic recovery is holding. The Associated Press reported:

“ Job openings rose in July after two months of declines, a positive sign that companies could step up hiring in the coming months.

“The Labor Department says the number of jobs advertised rose by 6.2 percent to 3.04 million. That's the highest total since April, when temporary census hiring inflated that month's figure.”

This news follows the announcement that the month of August represents the eighth straight month of private sector job growth.  Congressional Democrats have worked tirelessly to improve the economy after pulling the nation out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression:

• Democrats approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is responsible for approximately 3 million jobs.
• Democrats approved The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act which saves or creates 319,000 local jobs across the country, including 161,000 teacher jobs.
• Democrats fought on behalf of unemployed Americans by extending unemployment benefits for 2.5 million people out of work due to no fault of their own.

Chairman Miller has been a strong advocate for additional job creation as the author of the Local Jobs for America Act, which would help create and save public and private sector jobs and restore vital services in local communities.

More information about the work Miller has done to save jobs

On Friday, the Department of Education authorized $1.2 billion for California as part of the recently passed Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. That money should help return an estimated 16,500 teachers to their jobs in California.

One school district is already putting that money to good use. With their share, the Vallejo school district has the money to pay the teachers they hired back earlier this month in order to bring K-3 classes back down to 28 students.

District spokeswoman Tish Busselle said:

"The jobs bill has become a great relief because we still don't have a state budget," she said.

In early August, State Administrator Richard Damelio agreed to give 20 laid-off Vallejo teachers their jobs back as a way to prevent K-3 classes from increasing to 31 students.

All told, some 38 teachers were brought back recently, though the unresolved state budget casts uncertainty on school district funding levels.

The teachers were laid off in anticipation of state funding cuts, but were hired back just prior to the start of the new school year.

You can learn more about the emergency teacher jobs bill and see how many estimated teachers will be back in the classroom because of the efforts by Chairman Miller and the rest of the Democratic Caucus.

Last week, the House approved H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. President Obama signed the legislation into law the very same day, sending $10 billion to local school districts to prevent education layoffs and rehire teachers who had already received pink slips. The law is expected to save the jobs of 161,000 American teachers, and is already impacting communities across the county. Today’s Miami Herald reported that the Broward County School Board recently approved plans to rehire nearly 100 teachers due to the influx of federal aid:

“With days to go before classes begin, the Broward County School Board gave the OK Tuesday for its superintendent to start recalling nearly 100 laid-off teachers and other teachers whose work has been curtailed.

“Broward schools will receive about $54 million to rehire teachers and other employees, thanks to a new federal stimulus package with $10 billion earmarked for education jobs.”

Chairman Miller has been a lead congressional advocate for emergency aid to stop teacher layoffs, saying on many occasions, “We can’t allow a child’s education to become a casualty of what is happening in our economy.”

Miller proposed a $23 billion dollar emergency “Education Jobs Fund” in late 2009 and authored the Local Jobs for America Act, which would help save local communities from devastating public sector layoffs. 

Yesterday, President Obama signed H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, legislation that will prevent mass teacher layoffs, keep police and firefighters on the job, and close tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas. The new law will save or create 319,000 American jobs in local communities, including 161,000 teacher jobs. These much-needed funds are expected to reach the states in 45 days. Communities across the country are already celebrating the passage of this legislation:

The News-Leader of Springfield, Mo. reported:

“The bill would send Missouri $292 million for Medicaid and $189.7 million to help cash-strapped schools rehire staff or prevent future layoffs. The education funding will save 3,000 jobs statewide and more than 1,200 in the 4th, 7th and 8th congressional districts. The Medicaid funding would help states meet other budget needs, such as keeping thousands of police officers, nurses and other public workers employed.”

Montana’s Great Falls Tribune passed on similar news:

“Montana will receive $38 million in Medicaid funding and $30.7 million to avoid layoffs, mostly of K-12 teachers, from the bill. The U.S. Education Department estimates that the money will save about 700 teachers' jobs in Montana.”

California’s Coachella Valley will also benefit greatly, according to The Desert Sun:

“Valley schools may be able to rehire teachers and shrink the size of classes when school starts now that a $26 billion jobs bill has become law.

“‘I guess there is such a thing as Christmas in August,’ said Ricardo Medina, superintendent of Coachella Valley Unified School District.”

Chairman Miller appeared on MSNBC yesterday morning to voice his passionate support for the legislation and discuss why job creation is vital to the economic recovery:

“What we’re talking about is creating jobs for teachers, for firemen, for police, for nurses – the people that hold our public spaces together in this country. And we should not have our children lose a year’s education because the Republicans refuse to create jobs.

“And you know what they call teachers and firemen and nurses and policemen with jobs? You know what small businesses call them? They call them customers.”

Chairman Miller spoke passionately on the floor of the House of Representatives about the importance of H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act because he believes that “with this vote today, we’re taking decisive action to prevent our children from becoming victims of this economy by ensuring more teachers remain in the classroom. This legislation won’t save every job but it will certainly provide much-needed relief and a critical lifeline to schools. It was the right decision to come back to Washington to take this important vote."

“It’s not the first time this Congress has voted to support jobs, teachers and the future of this country. And we are not done working to rescue this economy. Sadly, it is also not the first time Republicans have voted against jobs and against assistance for families across the country.”

Later today, the House will vote on H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. It provides $10 billion for additional support to local school districts to prevent imminent layoffs. The latest estimates from the Department of Education are that this fund will help keep 161,000 educators employed this coming school year. It pays for these additional funds by closing loopholes that encourage corporations to ship jobs overseas.

Last week, the Washington Post editorial board didn't think it was important to save teacher jobs. In Chairman Miller's letter to the editor  today, he sets them straight about the importance of saving teacher jobs:

It is disappointing that The Post's editorial board, which consistently supports school reform, opposes efforts to keep teachers in the classroom by way of a $10 billion education jobs package ["Throwing money at education," editorial, Aug. 6]. Across the country, damaging budget cuts have forced school districts to lay off hundreds of thousands of employees, shorten school years and increase class sizes -- to the detriment of students. All of these decisions were based on decreased revenue, largely due to the financial crisis that was no fault of any principal, teacher or student. 

This emergency investment in our schools will save teacher jobs and keep students in their classrooms, learning, growing and succeeding. If we were to take the path suggested by The Post, we would let our schools suffer, stifle our students' futures and reverse the progress made in schools under the Obama administration. Congress won't let that happen.

This morning Chairman Miller appeared on MSNBC to explain why the House is returning from its 6-week district work period to vote on this important piece of legislation. Watch him after the jump:

Huffington Post highlights the plight faced by local communities all across the country tightening budgets and decreasing local tax revenue. Students Fight To Make Sure Their Teachers Aren't Fired details the grassroot efforts by a community in California that is trying to ensure their favorites aren't laid off at the end of the school year.

Tonight, in a little strip-mall office next to the local Safeway, a teenage student from Alameda, California will spend the evening dialing up strangers to make an earnest request: please save my school.

The budget ax is about to fall on this Bay Area city. Seven million dollars in K-12 education cuts are planned this year, nearly $10 million will be lopped off next year, and a massive $17 million cut looms in 2012. A few weeks ago, Alameda's Board of Education handed out pink slips to 130 teachers, administrators and staff.

"This is the worst yet," said Superintendent Kirsten Vital, a 20-year veteran of California's education system. "I've never seen anything like it."

The AP reports that high school students face hard lesson in economics due to increasing cuts in teachers, programs and other important school staff.

Across the country, mass layoffs of teachers, counselors and other staff members — caused in part by the drying up of federal stimulus dollars — are leading to larger classes and reductions in everything that is not a core subject, including music, art, clubs, sports and other after-school activities.

Educators and others worry the cuts could lead to higher dropout rates and lower college attendance as students receive less guidance and become less engaged in school. They fear a generation of young people could be left behind.

...

"Literally tens of millions of students will experience these budget cuts in one way or another," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who is urging Congress to provide another round of emergency funding for schools. "If we do not help avert this state and local budget crisis, we could impede reform and fail another generation of children."

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has introduced legislation that would create a $23 billion fund to help schools retain teachers, principals and other staff members. The fate of the bill is uncertain.

The American Association of School Administrators estimates that 275,000 education jobs will be cut in the coming school year, based on an April survey. Other AASA surveys found that 52 percent of administrators plan to cut extracurricular activities, and 51 percent are reducing elective courses not required for graduation.

As Chairman Miller said, "Our responsibility to keep the economic recovery moving forward has not ended. That’s why I introduced the Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812) earlier this year. It will create up to a million jobs quickly in both the public and private sectors and help restore vital services that families rely on. I am pleased to see so many of my colleagues support this legislation and that Senator Sherrod Brown announced he will be introducing a companion bill in the Senate.”

Today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued the following statement, emphasizing the President’s emphatic support for emergency legislation to help prevent teacher layoffs and create and save 300,000 education jobs.

“As the House prepares to vote on the emergency spending bill today, communities across this country are facing an education crisis with hundreds of thousands of teachers at all levels at risk of losing their jobs.The President shares the concern of millions of Americans  that cuts to state and local budgets are forcing states and localities to cut education spending drastically, impacting the learning and growth of our nation’s children. While some states may not feel the impact yet, there are thousands of teachers who will receive pink slips in the coming months.  The President strongly supports targeted aid focused on preventing these  teacher layoffs in order to stem the education crisis.”

The House Appropriations Committee will vote on the legislation later today. [Note: This vote was postponed.]

U.S. Rep. George Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and a lead champion to help save teacher jobs, applauded the White House for their clear message.

“The President knows the desperate situation in our schools. He knows the cost of inaction for our schools, our teachers, our students, our families and our communities. Today, he’s sent us the clear message that Congress has to act now to help prevent these layoffs that would punish teachers, devastate communities and set back the significant progress out students are making in school. ”

Yesterday, the White House released state-by-state estimates of the number of jobs that will be saved or created through the $23 billion Education Jobs Fund.

View the state-by-state job estimates.

View the White House fact sheet, “Keep Our Teachers Working”

The Economic Policy Institute released an analysis today about the economic impact and cost of the Local Jobs for America Act. What they found was:

By preserving and creating jobs in communities around the country, the Local Jobs for America bill would lead to higher income and payroll tax receipts and reduce spending for safety net programs, ultimately offsetting an estimated $39 billion of the bill's $75 billion in outlays.

EPI also calculated that the legislation would indirectly create an estimated 150,000 jobs – jobs supported by the spending of workers whose jobs were directly created or saved.

“Our nation’s budding economic recovery can ill afford another round of significant layoffs,” said Rep. George Miller , lead sponsor of the Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812) and chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. “This analysis confirms that keeping Americans working is more beneficial to our economy than handing them a pink slip.”

To prevent cuts to vital local services, part of the legislation would provide $75 billion over two years directly to local communities to stop planned cuts or to hire back 675,000 workers for local services. EPI’s analysis of this part of the legislation found that almost $39 billion of the cost would be offset because it would keep taxpayers on payrolls and reduce spending on unemployment and other social safety net benefits.

“[The Local Jobs for America Act’s] net cost will be much lower than advertised as it puts people back to work and turns them into tax-payers rather than benefit-collectors,” the EPI analysis concluded.

The bill also would provide $24 billion to states to help support 250,000 education jobs, put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat, and retain, rehire, and hire firefighters. The Local Jobs for America Act would also fund approximately 50,000 additional private-sector on-the-job training positions to help local businesses put people back to work. Workers would be able to acquire core job skills and important work experience for private employers.

See the estimated number of jobs created or saved in local communities, which is part of why more than 300 national and local organizations have announced their support of the Local Jobs for America Act.

The White House has a blog post about the upcoming financial crisis that many states are facing and the cuts to education they will have to make.

President Obama said:

And it’s why, through our recovery efforts, we’ve provided emergency aid that saved the jobs of more than 400,000 teachers and other education jobs -– and why I believe these efforts must continue. I believe these efforts must continue as states face severe budget shortfalls that put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk. We need and our children need our teachers in the classroom. We need your passion and your patience, your skill and experience, your determination to reach every single child.

The White House says, "Now we need swift, bold action from Congress to respond to state and local budget cuts that are placing public education at risk and endangering teacher jobs.  Thanks to the leadership of Senator Harkin and Congressmen Miller and Obey, we have legislation to avert this crisis."

Chairman Miller has been making the case that that additional funding for states is vital to our continued economic expansion. He was a co-sponsor of the Jobs for Main Street Act that passed the House in December and waits on Senate action.

Chairman Miller along with House Democrats and a bipartisan group of mayors are behind the Local Jobs for America Act, authored by Rep. George Miller, that will save and create jobs quickly in both the public and private sectors and help restore vital services that families and local communities rely on.

See the Obama Administration’s letter of strong support to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid on this legislation.

CNN reports that more than 80% of school districts to cut jobs. According to the article, "a total of 275,000 education jobs are expected to be cut in 2011." The Local Jobs for America Act contains $23 billion this year to help states support 250,000 education jobs. It also contains $75 billion over two years to local communities to hire vital staff, funding for 50,000 on-the-job private-sector training positions, $1.18 billion to put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat and $500 million to retain, rehire, and hire firefighters, plus many other benefits.

Read the entire article at CNNMoney.com or after the jump.

UPDATED: The American Association of School Administrators have posted their report. According to the press release, "Cutting 275,000 education jobs would deal a devastating blow to public education and will have a negative effect on economic recovery. Dr. Lawrence Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute told AASA, ‘Every 100,000 education jobs lost will be roughly 30,000 jobs lost in other sectors due to the lost spending by schools and those laid off.’"

While the recovery looks stronger than expected, it is still uneven. The LA Times reported on how cities are feeling the economic pinch.

Cities — while facing increased demands for services — have seen their tax revenues continue to decline because of persistent high unemployment, home foreclosures and reduced state aid.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has proposed as many as 750 layoffs — on top of 105 pink slips this year — to help make up for a projected $485-million shortfall. San Jose is looking at reducing its municipal workforce to its lowest level in two decades.

"We're now beginning to see cities cut fire and police services," Loveridge said. "The pain is real."

...

Concerned that a wave of municipal layoffs could set back the nation's economic recovery, congressional Democrats are pushing a $100-billion bill that would provide $75 billion in federal aid to help cities and counties preserve jobs.

The bill, which has gained 151 cosponsors in the House, also provides an additional $23 billion to help preserve teachers' jobs. Most of the remainder would go to aid police and fire departments.

"Without help, an ongoing local government fiscal crisis could well undercut the nation's recovery," Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge, president of the National League of Cities, told a congressional committee recently.

The Wall Street Journal notes that some municipalities are cutting back on police departments. These budget cuts risk putting the public in danger. The Local Jobs for America Act would help back fill some of the areas cities and counties have had to cut.

The Vacaville Reporter notes that Rep. Miller is aiming to save teacher jobs currently on the chopping block due to these cutbacks.

"Teacher layoffs threaten our economic recovery and long-term stability at every level. This is a serious problem in my district and in the districts of my colleagues and it deserves serious attention," he stated in a press release. "Our teachers can't afford to lose their jobs, our children can't afford to lose a year of learning and our nation can't afford to stall the progress we've made to get our economy and our children's education back on track."

Miller has proposed directing $23 billion in federal dollars to local schools to help make up for state and local budget shortfalls.

The "Education Jobs" funding would be directed to California and then passed on to local school districts across the state using already established state funding formulas. This is the same infrastructure as the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Miller noted.

While the stock market and the jobs reports are beginning to gain steam, local governments are still struggling with a lack of funds. The New York Times reported this morning that Districts Warn of Deeper Teacher Cuts:

School districts around the country, forced to resort to drastic money-saving measures, are warning hundreds of thousands of teachers that their jobs may be eliminated in June.

The districts have no choice, they say, because their usual sources of revenue — state money and local property taxes — have been hit hard by the recession.

The Washington Post noted that the recession could result in deep school staff layoffs, larger class sizes:

This month, the American Association of School Administrators reported that two-thirds of members surveyed cut positions this school year and 90 percent expect to do so in the coming year. The survey of 453 administrators also found that 62 percent anticipated raising class size, 34 percent were considering cancellation of summer school and 13 percent were weighing the possibility of a four-day school week.

The National Education Association, a teachers union with 3.2 million members, counts 26,000 teachers in jeopardy of layoffs in California, 20,000 in Illinois, 13,000 in New York, 8,000 in Michigan and 6,000 in New Jersey.

Even when jobs are saved there is a steep price. Los Angeles officials decided to avert about 2,000 layoffs by cutting five days from the academic calendar. But the city's school workforce is hemorrhaging nonetheless.

These sorts of cuts are why more than 300 local, state and national groups from 43 states are urging passage of the Local Jobs for America Act.

CongressDaily reports ($):

More than 300 local, state and national groups from 43 states are urging House Democratic leaders to consider legislation introduced last month by House Education and Labor Chairman George Miller that would provide about $100 billion in aid to state and local governments to help prevent layoffs.

"We support quick passage of the Local Jobs for America Act to immediately put Americans back to work, in addition to meeting pressing needs in our communities," the letter said. "We need bold congressional action in order to put Americans back to work and prevent more layoffs and cuts in crucial services. [The Miller bill] will not only provide employment for hundreds of thousands of jobless workers, it will create and save jobs for workers who are providing services that our communities badly need."

Signatories to the letter include the American Federation of Government Employees; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; the American Federation of Teachers, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. It was dated Friday, but released Monday.

The measure would provide $75 billion over two years that would go directly to eligible communities and nonprofit community organizations. The funds would also be used for salaries for 50,000 on-the-job private-sector training positions, "so local business can put people back to work in the local economies," Miller said upon introducing the bill.

The legislation would also provide $23 billion this year to help states support 250,000 education jobs, another $1.18 billion to put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat and an additional $500 million to retain, rehire and hire firefighters.

Learn more about the Local Jobs for America Act and estimates on how many jobs would be created or saved in local communities.

$75 billion for 750,000 jobs providing needed local services

$52.5 billion directly to communities with at least 50,000 residents – Mayors, County Officials and Governors would submit a statement to the need for the specific positions to the Department of Labor. The department would then distribute funding to communities based on the Community Development Block Grant formula.

Half of the funding will go to positions that would be eliminated due to ongoing budget shortfalls. Up to 25 percent of the funding can go to non-profit community organizations that provide services not customarily provided by local government employees. The remaining 25 percent may be used for creation of new jobs in local government.

$22.5 billion directly to governors to distribute to communities with fewer than 50,000 residents – Job creation funding will sent to towns, counties, or private non-profits outside of those communities eligible for the funding above. Local governments will apply to the governor for the funding.

Like support to larger communities, half of the funding may be spent on retention of positions slated for elimination, up to 25 percent of the funding can go to non-profit community organizations that provide services not customarily provided by local government employees. The remaining 25 percent may be used for creation of new jobs in local government. The governor must fairly distribute the funding among congressional districts, in proportion to each district’s rural population.

Funds may only be used for compensation of full-time, full-year positions.  “Full-year” defined to include school year positions. Local governments may expand existing services or restore services cut in the past five years. Positions are federally funded for two years.

Jobs are regular government or local community organization jobs. These jobs will be in pre-existing job titles, covered by union contracts, etc. Mayors and County Officials are not required to continue funding these positions once federal funding expires. Priority will be given to hire workers laid off from city positions, current unemployment insurance recipients and the long-term unemployed whose benefits have been exhausted.

$23 billion to help states support an estimated 300,000 education jobs; $1.18 billion to put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat; and $500 million to hire and retain fire fighters

These funds will be allocated by states to school districts and public institutions of higher education to retain or create jobs to provide educational services and to modernize, renovate, and repair public education facilities. Funding will be distributed the state fiscal stabilization fund formula as passed in the Recovery Act. States would then distribute funding to school districts based on each state’s education funding formula.

$500 million for approximately 50,000 additional on-the-job training positions slots to help private business expand employment

These funds will enable workers to acquire core job skills and important work experience for private employers.  Individuals will be able to earn a salary and learn a new job through the Workforce Investment Act.  Participants will gain core job skills and experience through training and close supervision by their employer.  

CNNMoney notes today that state and local governments are facing a very difficult budget year. Faced with declining revenue, some local municipalities and states are looking to cut their workforce.

State and local governments are collectively the nation's biggest source of jobs, together employing almost 15 times as many Americans as Wal-Mart.

They added 2 million jobs over the past decade and helped to cushion the shock of the Great Recession by holding employment steady since the end of 2007, a time when the private sector was hemorrhaging 8.5 million jobs.

But another ugly state budget season is coming up, which will mean more belt-tightening for local governments -- and another source of pressure for an already anemic jobs market recovery.

...

Layoffs aren't the first choice of governments seeking to balance their budgets. A survey conducted late last year by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence found two-thirds of respondents had stopped hiring and almost as many had put a freeze on raises. Less than half had resorted to job cuts, however.

But the size of budget shortfalls is making cuts inevitable. A thousand state workers in South Carolina could lose their jobs if the legislature enacts a pending budget proposal, the Columbia State reported. Cutbacks are pending in Virginia, Georgia and many other states.

To help state and local municipalities deal with some of these budget shortfalls, Chairman Miller along with other members of Congress and a bipartisan group of mayors introduced new legislation that will create up to one million public and private sector jobs. The financial collapse is forcing states and municipalities to cut jobs that are critically important to local communities – teachers, police, firefighters, childcare workers, and others – cuts that threaten to derail America’s economic recovery. The bill also contains innovative job creation strategies that will help hundreds of thousands of individuals get private sector jobs.

The bill, which was developed with mayors, county officials and others, will put a million people to work by restoring these services to local communities, in both public and private sector jobs.

Learn more about Chairman Miller's Local Jobs for America Act and watch Chairman Miller on CNBC explaining the importance of this bill.

Update: After the bill was rolled out, the Economic Policy Institute applauded the Local Jobs for America Act.

Helping Local Communities Create and Save A Million Public and Private Jobs

Our nation is going through one of the most difficult economic times in its history.  We must do everything to help create jobs for those who are strug­gling to support their families.  At the same time, the recession is forcing states and municipalities to cut jobs that are critically important – teachers, police, firefighters, childcare workers, and others. The Local Jobs for Amer­ica Act will provide our economy a shot in the arm by putting a million people to work by restoring these services in local communities. (More than 300 organizations support the Local Jobs for America Act.)
 
The Local Jobs for America Act will create and save a million public and private jobs in local communities this year. 
 

Support will be targeted directly to states and municipalities with the greatest number of people out of work to restore important local services. (Estimated funding and estimated jobs created and saved »)

 
The Local Jobs for America Act will help ensure that local com­munities can still operate essential services.
 

Because of the recession, many local communities have cut back on education, public safety, childcare, health care, and transporta­tion. As a result, families who rely on these services are suffering the cost of these cutbacks.

 
This bill will help prevent state and local tax increases. 
 

By supporting the services local communities deem most necessary, the bill will help local governments avoid having to choose between eliminat­ing services and raising taxes.

 
Creating local jobs will stimulate local businesses and create more jobs in the local economy.
 

By increasing employment in local communities, families will be able to start spending again at their neighborhood businesses and favorite restaurants. This will help spur additional jobs for local small businesses.

 
The Local Jobs for America Act will fund salaries for private sector on-the-job training to help local businesses put people back to work.
 
Specifically, the Local Jobs for America Act invests:

• $75 billion over two years to local communities to hire vital staff
• Funding for 50,000 on-the-job private-sector training positions
  

The bill also includes provisions already approved by the House:

• $23 billion this year to help states support 300,000 education jobs
• $1.18 billion to put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat
• $500 million to retain, rehire, and hire firefighters
  

Today, the USA Today has an exclusive quarterly survey of 50 economists that found:

President Obama's stimulus package saved jobs — but the government still needs to do more to breathe life into the economy."

Unemployment would have hit 10.8% — higher than December's 10% rate — without Obama's $787 billion stimulus program, according to the economists' median estimate. The difference would translate into another 1.2 million lost jobs.

But almost two-thirds of the economists said the government should do more to spur job growth. Suggestions included suspending payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare, increasing spending on infrastructure, enacting a flat tax on income and extending jobless benefits.

That is why the House passed the Jobs for Main Street Act in December, this "jobs bill" would, among other things, provide:

• $23 billion to save an estimated 250,000 education jobs over the next two years;
• $41 billion to extend for six months expanded unemployment benefits, including increased payouts and longer duration of benefits;
• $12.3 billion to extend from nine to 15 months the 65 percent COBRA premium support for individuals who have lost their jobs. In addition, the bill extends eligibility through June 30, 2010;
• $200 million for AmeriCorps programs and the National Service Trust, to support an additional 25,000 AmeriCorps Members;
• $500 million for summer youth employment programs;
• $300 million to support the College Work Study program, which supports low- and moderate-income undergraduate and graduate students who work while attending college; and
• $750 million for competitive grants to support job training for approximately 150,000 individuals in high growth and emerging industry sectors, particularly in the health care and green industries that are adding jobs despite difficult economic conditions.