Drilling Ban Put 23K Out of Work

The federal moratorium on deepwater drilling isn't helping unemployment, with some 23,000 workers out of work as a result if the ban holds for six months. A July 10 White House memo showed that the ban would idle 9,450 people directly, and another 14,000 indirectly, reports the AP.

The White House re-issued its moratorium three days after the memo was written. The Interior Department notes that the economic impact hasn't hit worst-case scenario and that BP has set up a $100 million fund for workers affected by the suspension.