White House Considers Creating a 'Department of Jobs'

AP File

On Aug. 5, in a move that went virtually unnoticed amid the clamor over a rating agency’s downgrading of United States debt, the administration announced a new jobs program for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Obama called it a “reverse boot camp,” intended to retrain veterans for civilian jobs. Part of the program would include a “returning hero tax credit” for companies that hire unemployed disabled veterans.

The administration may also merge the Department of Commerce, the Office of the United States Trade Representative and some economic divisions at the State Department into a new agency, administration officials said. Possible names include the Department of Jobs or the Department of Competitiveness.

This focus on the little things is painful for many Democrats who see big problems, but there is growing acceptance that there may be no alternative to waiting for the next election.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/us/politics/14econ.html?pagewanted=all#ixzz1VEMV1WEj