WASHINGTON—Rachel Greszler, a research fellow in Heritage’s Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, released the following statement on the May jobs report:

Economists across the spectrum feared that the unemployment report would be nothing but doom and gloom. What we saw instead is an encouraging indication that many workers haven’t been permanently separated from their jobs and that parts of the economy are restarting.

 

The welcome news underscores how data-driven, locally informed decisions to reopen economies across the country save lives and livelihoods.

 

From the outset of this crisis, The Heritage Foundation and its National Coronavirus Recovery Commission have encouraged targeted and temporary policy responses to keep workers attached to their employers and avert widespread business failures.

 

While the crisis is not over, Americans need employment opportunities, not unemployment incentives. Congress should slow down, learn from past stimulus failures, and fix policy mistakes that discourage work and economic recovery.

Heritage’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission has released 264 recommendations for achieving a prudent balance to protect both lives and livelihoods. The commission’s executive directors have also outlined “12 Urgent Recommendations to Avoid an Economic Depression.” The commission will issue its final report June 15.