Government shutdown hurt both employment and economic growth

according to a Gallup poll released last Thursday. An average of 35 percent of workers said their employers were adding jobs; 17 percent said they were losing colleagues. The 18-point variance, which Gallup calls its “Job Creation Index,” is three points lower than in September, and is the lowest measure since March. From May to September, the index was relatively stable and at its highest levels since before the 2008 financial crisis. Employees in both the public and private sectors contributed to the low score. But federal, state, and local government workers reported that the hiring situation soured the most for them. Both government and non-government workers reported a less positive hiring situation during the shutdown than before it began. Now that Congress has reached an agreement to end the shutdown, at least for the next several months, the question is how quickly the effects the shutdown had on Americans’ economic attitudes and behavior will dissipate.]]>