The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday released a new proposal aimed at limiting short-term health policies that some consumers use as a cheaper alternative to ACA plans. Short-term plans have grown in popularity over the years, and the proposal will likely hurt consumers who rely on the plans.

The American Action Forum yesterday released new research examining the recently released May 2016 jobs report, which painted a gloomy picture for the mining industry. The report reveals that employment in the industry fell by 116,000 jobs in the past year, with 10,000 in May 2016 alone. 207,000 mining related jobs have been lost since 2014, totaling over $13.8 billion in lost wages. Click here to view the research.

Eakinomics: Economic Policy and the Future of the Labor Market

Lots of news is focused on the labor market. House Republicans released a bold new strategy for better economic opportunity and upward mobility that focused on the importance of work as the route to economic self-sufficiency. This, ironically, came on the heels of Friday’s May employment report showing that the economy created only 38,000 jobs, that nearly one-half million individuals departed the labor force and that another one-half million were working part-time involuntarily for economic reasons. Not a pretty picture after 7 years of “recovery.”

Now, CNBC is reporting that a new poll indicates that “Nearly half of unemployed Americans have quit looking for work, and the numbers are even worse for the long-term jobless.” Unemployment is concentrated in the 18-29 age group, among whom are those hit hardest by the Great Recession. There are reasons to suspect they may never return to the labor market. This suggests that in addition to better overall economic growth policy, there is the need for the skills-building, work-connecting social safety net that the Republican task force envisions.

In addition, Goldman Sachs issued a study suggesting that a significant chunk of the part-time work is due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Recall that employers with 50 or more employees must provide insurance to their employees. This is an incentive to stay below 50 full-time employees and use part-timers to meet labor needs. In addition, there is an incentive for workers to be kept below 30 hours a week, and thus not be classified as full-time and covered by the mandate. These are among the many labor market impediments introduced by the ACA.

The lesson is that every part of the social safety net — and policy more generally — should be pro-work. Even that, however, is not enough. As nicely illustrated by the Wall Street Journal, the decline in U.S. fertility continues. Over the long-term, this implies that the growth in the labor force, as well as the composition of its skills and attributes, will be determined by immigration. Thus the enormous opportunity presented by immigration reform — the ability to shape future growth and competitiveness.

From the Forum

Everything You Need To Know About Spectrum: A Primer by Will Rinehart, AAF Director of Technology and Innovation Policy

MetLife V. FSOC On Appeal by Meghan Milloy, AAF Director of Financial Services Policy

The Speaker’s Blueprint To Fight Poverty by Ben Gitis, AAF Director of Labor Market Policy

May Jobs Report: Not A Good Year For Mining by Kimberly VanWyhe, AAF Director of Energy Policy

Medicare Enrollees’ Limitations At End Of Life AAF Health Policy Counsel