[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4426-S4427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Hassan, 
        and Mr. Whitehouse):
  S. 1651. A bill to provide for temporary financing of short-time 
compensation programs; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am joined by Senators Casey, 
Gillibrand, Hassan, and Whitehouse to introduce the Layoff Prevention 
Act of 2017. This bill renews and extends Federal support for State 
short-time compensation--or work sharing--programs, which help avert 
layoffs and the economic effects of long-term unemployment.
  Work sharing is a proven concept that is endorsed by economists 
across the political spectrum. When business slows down, employers feel 
pressure to lay off employees. Under work sharing, employers may 
instead opt to reduce hours across-the-board, and employees may then 
collect a pro-rata unemployment compensation check for the hours they 
lost. This prevents layoffs, lowers employers' rehiring and training 
expenses, and costs States only a fraction of what they would pay if 
workers went on full unemployment.
  The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 included my 
Layoff Prevention Act, which modernized

[[Page S4427]]

Federal work sharing laws. Partly as a result of this increased Federal 
support for work sharing, State work sharing programs helped to save 
over 130,000 jobs between 2012 and the expiration of Federal incentives 
in 2015.
  The legislation I am introducing today would renew incentives so that 
States with existing work sharing programs, and those considering 
enacting a program, can qualify for Federal support. Our economy has 
come a long way in recent years, and we should invest in proven 
programs like work sharing to ensure we do not experience again the 
same scale of job loss that we endured during the Great Recession.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of this bill to 
keep American workers on the job, save taxpayers money, and provide 
employers with a practical, positive, and cost-effective alternative to 
layoffs.
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