The politicians did not want to accept that there was widespread unemployment. There were many pieces saying how GREAT the job market was, and that there were PLENTY of jobs for everyone... (You just needed to meet these academic requirements!!)
The real truth, was that employers did not want to hire, and when they DID have a need to hire, they wanted to get the very, VERY VERY biggest bang for their buck. If even the premium talent is struggling to find work, they will accept lackluster offers, maximizing employer value.
So, politicians did not want to lose face.
Wallstreet wanted to smooth over the whole "Whoops, sorry we fucked your lives with our greed everyone! Oh Look over there, RECOVERY is just around the corner!.... Really!!"
and employers were there with "My PRECIOUS--- PREMIUM TALENT at INTERN pay! It's WONDROUS my precious! Juicy, and Sweet!"
I mentioned it, because I remember telling people that no, "Unemployment is fucking rampant, and the Fed is using "unemployment check payout recipient" numbers, rather than looking at "How many people are actually without any fucking jobs" to avoid admitting that their banker friends fucked the country like it was a porn star in a bukake gang-bang, even when the jiz is covering the furniture. " I got in plenty of arguments over that actually.
This was especially poignant, in relation to the "NEEEEEEED!" For H1B Tech visas, because employers insisted that there just were not any qualified applicants. Never mind that there was more than enough local talent. The issue, was that they could get the H1B holders for a fraction of the cost, and they could hold their new McWorkers hostage using the INS, by threatening to terminate their work sponsorship if one iota of bullshit was not cowed to.
So-- The release of this paper? It basically tells all those big tech companies that they are full of steaming horse shit. Just like we all knew they were.