Gallup Poll: “Gallup’s U.S. Job Creation Index was steady in July, at +21, similar to +22 in June. While non-government workers, as well as state and local government workers, reported little change in net hiring at their workplaces, federal workers reported a significant decline. Net federal hiring was lower in July, at -17, than it was in the same month a year ago, then registering -10. By contrast, state and local hiring was up in July compared with a year ago. Over the same period, non-government hiring has been relatively flat, generally at or above +20. Federal Workers See More Shedding of Jobs and Less Hiring: Federal workers were more likely to report that their employer is letting people go rather than hiring in July, by 42% to 25%, resulting in the -17 Job Creation Index score for this group. That is down from a -5 index score in June, and is the lowest since March. A key explanation for this decline could be federal sequestration. Although these automatic spending cuts went into effect in early March, likely resulting in a heightened perception among federal workers in that same month that hiring was down, it is possible that the pace of furloughs and layoffs increased in July as federal agencies moved to implement the staffing component of budget cuts.”