Jobless recoveries are here to stay, economists say, but it’s a mystery why

By Jim Tankersley

The U.S. economy just hasn’t looked like its old self lately, especially when it comes to regaining the jobs lost during a recession. It looks a lot more like 1980s-era Europe — slow to rebound and hire after a downturn, leaving workers to flail for years in a weak job market.

The United States is stuck in its third consecutive “jobless recovery,” stretching back to the rebound from the 1990 recession. And Americans might need to get used to them: A major new study from economists at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California at Berkeley suggests that vintage Europe is the new American normal for recessions and recoveries.

But even after an exhaustive series of tests, the economists still can’t explain what has gone wrong.

Read full article here from The Washington Post