As WMC/WisGOP spread Big Lie on unemployment, real data shows workers using leverage, taking jobs

There's another Big Lie going on in GOPWorld - and our gerrymandered Legislature took action on that false narrative.

The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature voted Wednesday to eliminate a $300-a-week federal bonus for unemployed people, a measure that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has made clear he's likely to veto.

The federal payment, approved to help the unemployed during the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to end on Sept. 6. Twenty-five other states have already approved ending it early, saying it has exacerbated worker shortage problems.

That's the argument that Republicans, state and local chambers of commerce, trade groups and others made for for passing the bill in Wisconsin.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos insisted Wednesday that the $300 payment is keeping people at home.

“Do you believe we should help the small business community?” Vos said. “Work should be what pays, not waiting for a government paycheck."

And you can guess who fed Robbin' that theory.

BREAKING: WMC Thanks Legislators for Taking Action on Workforce Emergency

Lawmakers passed legislation that would end pandemic-related federal unemployment. WMC encourages @GovEvers to sign this legislation into law to address WI's workforce shortage. https://t.co/Hja6ngNnxj pic.twitter.com/D6CLYKKKy3

— WMC (@WisconsinMC) June 9, 2021

But those GOP claims of "lazy workers on unemployment not wanting work" is belied by what was in this week's Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) survey. It showed that the fading of COVID and high levels of stimulus have led to a major jump in the need for workers, and it gave strong evidence that many American workers are feeling confident enough that they can walk away from their current job.

quits rate was highest on record; layoffs and discharges rate lowest on record. pic.twitter.com/LlTabTq7kl

— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) June 8, 2021

But no, GOPs, they are not quitting so they can hang at home and collect the $300/week add-on in unemployment (you usually can't collect unemployment after quitting anyway). They're quitting because they're taking jobs that better fit what they want to do, and are coming back to sectors that laid off a huge amount of workers in 2020.

Take a look at the seasonally-adjusted hires numbers in the food service, lodging and entertainment industries, and compare them to where they were at the end of 2020.

Let me remind you that this was in the "disappointing" month of April, when only 278,000 jobs were added and COVID made a slight resurgence. I would think these numbers will look even better in the May report, when more than twice as many jobs were added, including 220,600 in Accomodation + Food Services, and 71,700 in Arts, Entertainment, and Rec.

Interestingly, by April, there also were a large number of people leaving jobs in these same industries, as well as the warehousing industry that had gained jobs during the COVID World. And that increase in separations is because of quits, as layoffs went down in the same time period as quits jumped.

It's pretty obvious what is happening here. Many people who lost their jobs as COVID broke out had to settle for other work, and I have to think that they and a lot of others have questioned the point of settling for menial jobs that don't pay much, and put them in contact with large amounts of people that may not be vaccinated against a virus that has killed nearly 600,000 Americans.

So when they get a chance to move on for something that is safer and/or pays better and treats them better, they're taking it. It just hurts the fee-fees of greedy, mediocre business owners that people are taking what they have (don't) have to offer.

Another way to say "labor shortage" is "worker power".

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 9, 2021