'Guaranteed Jobs Is Guarantee Econ. of Stagnation

Milton Friedman used to tell a story that illustrated the absurdity of creating make-work jobs. Visiting a construction site in a developing country, he saw workers using shovels. Why, he asked, weren't they using more efficient earth movers? The response he received illustrates the critical flaw in make-work schemes. He was told that using shovels instead of more modern equipment created more jobs, and his people needed jobs. In that case, Friedman responded, “why don't you just give them spoons?”