Meeting America's economic challenges will require bipartisan cooperation and the adoption of a Twenty-First Century New Deal for American workers.

A decade ago the United States had the lowest share of long-term unemployed workers among developed nations. But today U.S. long-term unemployment levels are nearly as high as those in Europe, despite stronger overall U.S. economic performance. This Progress Report and Scorecard demonstrates that U.S. federal employment and training programs that assist job seekers do little to help the long-term unemployed prepare for different careers.

Overview This Working Paper by Nobel Laureate Michael Spence and Sandile Hlatshwayo is a detailed examination of the changing shape of the American economy and the effect of these changes on the l…