Labor

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European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn speaks during the presentation of the Fall Economic Forecast at EU headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2102. Europe's economy is still reeling and unemployment could remain high for years in spite of the progress made in solving the debt crisis, the European Union warned Wednesday as it downgraded its forecasts for the 27-country bloc. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

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Dwight Bowman is national vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees. (American Federation of Government Employees)

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FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, file photo, a trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York. U.S. stock futures are mixed in light trading with attention fixed on the country's latest jobs report, a final glimpse at the employment landscape before the presidential election Tuesday. The economy is the top issue for voters in a very tight election race. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

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FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2012, file photo, a view from inside a hockey net shows Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., after the announcement of the NHL Winter Classic hockey game. The NHL has canceled the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium. The signature event between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, is the latest casualty from the labor dispute that has put the season on hold, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

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Scott Dressel who has put most of his retirement savings into buying and restoring homes in Steubenville, Ohio has partnered with others in the city to buy and renovate the Grand Theatre in downtown to help spur economic development, Steubenville, Ohio, Saturday, October 27, 2012. Once a productive steel town, Steubenville, Ohio's population has contracted faster than anywhere else in the country between 1980 and 2000 as their steel plants shut down. The area has seen a drop in unemployment in recent years due in part to the prospects of natural gas but the city still has a long way to go with unemployment figures higher then the the rest of the state and the country. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

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A boot hangs from a highway sign exit for downtown Steubenville, Ohio, Saturday, October 27, 2012. Once a productive steel town, Steubenville, Ohio's population has contracted faster than anywhere else in the country between 1980 and 2000 as their steel plants shut down. The area has seen a drop in unemployment in recent years due in part to the prospects of natural gas but the city still has a long way to go with unemployment figures higher then the the rest of the state and the country. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

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Passengers are pictured in the underground during a subway strike in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Unemployment in the 17-country eurozone rose to a record of 11.6 percent in September as large parts of the region slide further toward recession. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone at 25.8 percent with Greece not far behind. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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People wait to buy goods in a chocolate shop, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Unemployment in the 17-country eurozone rose to a record of 11.6 percent in September as large parts of the region slide further toward recession. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone at 25.8 percent and Greece is not far behind. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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A job seeker looks over an employment brochure at the National Job Fair in Atlanta on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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Former Virginia Gov. George Allen, who is running for U.S. Senate, shakes hands with Steve Riley of West Springfield, Va., while talking with him and his wife Kathy following a town hall meeting at Joe Ragan's Coffee House in Springfield, Va., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Allen talked with attendees about their concerns, including health care and creating jobs. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

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George Allen, former Virginia governor who is running for U.S. Senate, listens to Virginians at a town hall meeting at Joe Ragan's Coffee House in Springfield, Va., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Allen talked with attendees about their concerns, including health care and creating jobs. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

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Former Virginia Gov. George Allen, who is running for U.S. Senate, has a town hall meeting at Joe Ragan's Coffee House in Springfield, Va., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Allen talked with attendees about their concerns, including health care and creating jobs. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)