{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-introduces-bill-to-provide-employers-with-incentives-to-hire-long", "Norton Introduces Bill to Provide Employers with Incentives to Hire Long-Term Unemployed", "2017-11-08", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "DC", "Eleanor Norton", "N000147", "norton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill that would help address the ongoing crisis of long-term unemployment by giving employers a $5,000 tax credit against their payroll tax liability for each new net person hired who has been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer.\u00a0 Although the overall unemployment rate has dropped to roughly four percent, the number of long-term unemployed in October 2017 was 1.6 million, which accounted for 24.8 percent of the total unemployed population.\n\u201cToo many long-term unemployed Americans face employment discrimination as employers continue to show reluctance to hire these job-seekers because of the length of their unemployment.\u00a0 Therefore, my bill provides a necessary incentive to hire those who have been unjustifiably left behind,\u201d Norton said.\u00a0 \u201cThese workers often have impressive experience and backgrounds.\u00a0 They have enviable work records.\u00a0 The country cannot afford to discard them.\u00a0 Putting the long-term unemployed back to work will provide a boost to our economy.\u201d\nNorton\u2019s introductory statement is below.\nStatement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the Reducing Long-Term Unemployment Act\nToday, I introduce the Reducing Long-Term Unemployment Act to address one of the lingering workforce tragedies in today\u2019s economy\u2014our long-term unemployed\u2014and to keep the economy growing.\u00a0 Although the overall unemployment rate has fallen to approximately four percent, Americans who have remained unemployed for longer than 27 weeks have not enjoyed a similar recovery.\u00a0 In October 2017, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was 1.6 million, which accounted for 24.8 percent of the total unemployed population.\nTo make matters even worse, the long-term unemployed now face employment discrimination as employers show reluctance to hire these job-seekers because of the length of their unemployment.\u00a0 Therefore, my bill provides a necessary incentive to hire the long-term unemployed\u2014a $5,000 tax credit for employers against their payroll tax liability for each (net) new long-term unemployed person they hire.\u00a0 This tax credit is large enough to give employers an incentive to increase the hiring and wages of those who have been unjustifiably left behind, while ensuring that the economy benefits from their participation.\u00a0 The credit would be available to the broadest base of employers because every employer, including nonprofits, pays payroll taxes, and employers could claim the credit on a quarterly, rather than annual, basis.\u00a0 According to the independent, non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the proposal would \u201cincrease both output and employment\u201d through four mechanisms: (1) with lower employment costs, employers would reduce the costs of their products and services, which, in turn, would first boost sales and then hiring and hours worked; (2) employers would pass on some of the tax savings to employees in the form of higher wages or other compensation, which, in turn, would increase employees\u2019 purchasing power; (3) higher profits would lead to higher stock prices for public companies, increasing shareholders\u2019 wealth and therefore their willingness to spend; and (4) with lower employment costs, employers would increase hiring.\u00a0 The bill has safeguards to prevent employers from gaming the system, including denying a credit to an employer that fires one employee and hires a replacement in order to take advantage of the incentive.\nFor some time, it has been clear that targeted policies are necessary to address today\u2019s stubborn long-term unemployment rates.\u00a0 Without significant targeting, the long-term unemployed are in danger of becoming permanently unemployed.\u00a0 This group of competent and experienced Americans deserves better.\u00a0\nI urge my colleagues to support this bill.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-introduces-bill-to-provide-employers-with-incentives-to-hire-long"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9110169485211372, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}