Brains Needed: What would the unemployment rate be with a steady Public Sector?

[maxsolomon]

I remember Obama saying that "the private sector was doing fine" and the GOP having a shit fit over it. But Public Sector employment has been steadily declining (which is what the Republics have always said they want) due to declining tax revenues, while the Private Sector is going up steadily, despite the argy bargy in the EU.

The unemployment rate has been pretty steady at 8.2, 8.3 for a while now. Has anyone calculated where the Unemployment Rate would be now if all government employment had just held steady?

My guess is 7.2, 7.3 - but that's just a guess.

[louis-t]

1. It would certainly be under 8.

At the state level, teabag repug governors have been getting rid of public sector workers. I've heard the number may be as high as 250,000.

[toddwv]

2. Yeah, that's what is being said...by everyone but the MSM.

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http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/08/480438/unemployment-without-government-cuts/?mobile=nc

[LongTomH]

3. +1000

Cutting govt jobs takes money out of the economy as well as reducing the number of people employed, so it contributes to slow growth in the private sector.

[MissMarple]

4. 4 to 5 percent.