Are there legislative efforts in this direction?
Yes. See the *Policy & Political Action* page. The largest job guarantee program in the world is India’s MGNREGA, which provides a legally-enforceable right to rural employment. In the United States, recent legislative steps include:
– In 2023 the European Parliament adopted resolution P9_TA(2023)0438 titled “Job creation – the just transition and impact investments” which recognized the importance of the Job Guarantee in the creation of a more just and sustainable economy.
– The 2021 Federal job guarantee Resolution (H. Res. 145).
– The Green New Deal Resolution (H. Res. 109, S. Res. 166), which calls for “guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security to all people of the United States.”
– The Green New Deal for Cities, Towns, and Tribal Nations Act (H.R. 2644), the Workforce Promotion and Access (WPA) Act (H.R. 1388), Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice (H.R. 2670 and S. 1244), and the Thrive Act (H.R. 2919 and S. 1525), all of which include funding for public service employment.
– President Biden recently established the American Climate Corps. It is “a workforce training and service initiative that will ensure more young people have access to the skills-based training necessary for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy. The American Climate Corps will mobilize a new, diverse generation of more than 20,000 Americans – putting them to work conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and advancing environmental justice, all while creating pathways to high-quality, good-paying clean energy and climate resilience jobs in the public and private sectors after they complete their paid training program.”
– In Europe, the Zero Long Term Unemployment Areas was recently expanded from 10 to 56 regions and the program is serving as a model for legislative efforts in Belgium, Italy and European Parliament
These movements demonstrate a growing political will for funding and administering public employment programs.
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