For the next two years, jobs are job No. 1. For everyone. Though economists will tell you that jobs are a lagging indicator even in a growing economy, for Americans of all stripes, including the political class in Washington, they are a leading one. The fates of both the Obama Administration and the new GOP class will be linked to job growth. There is a limit to what the federal government can do to create jobs, but there is one job the Obama Administration ought to create right now: a jobs czar — someone to be the President’s point person for the next few years in helping to stimulate job growth.
This is our kickoff cover story of the year, and it is on an issue we consider so important that it launches a yearlong focus on employment called Where the Jobs Are. Every month, we’ll do a story on which industries are growing, which cities are creating the most jobs, where new opportunities are arising. We’ll couple our coverage with town-hall meetings at which our writers and editors and outside experts will discuss the economy. We’d love to hear from you as well, so tell us what opportunities you are seeing or want us to write about.
