The United States has a great number of infrastructure (dams, roads, bridges, etc, etc) that needs to be repaired, replaced, and expanded. Currently, unemployment is between 6-12%, depending upon how you track unemployment.
We propose the creation of a program similar to the historical WPA of the 1930's-unemployed Americans and young adults can learn and develop construction-type skills, and make use of them to rapidly and efficiently rebuild the American infrastructure. In exchange, they are employed with a salary, access to health care as an equivalent government employee at their pay scale, and developing a work history for future employment in the private and public sectors.