Goodwill on the Hill

On September 13, the House of Representatives passed a six-month extension of government funding that carries federal funding for FY 2013 through next March 27. The funding measure, approved by a vote of 329-91, includes a 0.6 percent increase in funding for most federal programs. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure this week.

A small portion of Goodwill’s revenues comes from government sources. In 2011, two percent came from government grants, while eight percent came from government fees for service. These modest investments leveraged Goodwill’s self-sustaining social enterprise; with Goodwill investing 82 percent of the $4.4 billion it raised to supplement federal investments in programs that give people the skills they need to re-enter the workforce.

At the Republican and Democratic conventions, we’ve heard a lot of promises about jobs — how many jobs each candidate will create, how jobs many they’ve created in the past, and how many jobs they have saved. So, is it–as one 1960s musical quipped–all just “promises, promises?”

Well, yes… and no.
Last week, the Republican nominee Mitt Romney promised he will create 12 million new jobs if he is elected. However, Moody’s Analytics estimates that the economy will create 12 million new jobs over the next four years regardless of who is elected.