( CNN ) -- With only 71,000 private sector jobs created in July , the latest employment report tells the story of a slow and agonizing recovery . But if you look beneath the surface of recent government data , you can see the developing outline of the next powerful expansion . The leader ? The broad digital communications sector -- everything from telecom infrastructure to content providers to applications developers . Communications is one of the few areas where people are consuming more since the recession started , and key communications industries have continued to add jobs despite the downturn . All of which suggests that Washington policymakers should do everything they can to hitch a ride on the communications sector and find ways to stoke the jobs and spending engine a little bit . But proposals to regulate internet activity now before the Federal Communications Commission would do the opposite . What 's needed from regulators now is some creativity and humility -- in the form of `` countercyclical regulatory policy . '' This gives innovators a bit of breathing space at the start of an economic recovery , but sets the stage to tighten regulations later on if excesses develop . This approach does not mean regulators can go to sleep nor does it mean they can raise the flag of laissez-faire . What 's needed is the nuanced judgment of sentries posted at a tense border spot . With watchful eyes , regulators must practice thoughtful restraint that allows space for job leaders to innovate and hire , while remaining ready to aggressively confront violations of law or abuses of consumer rights if they take place . The communications sector is one of the few bright lights in an otherwise dismal economic picture . Facebook just reported its 500 millionth member ; Droids are flying out of stores ; and the iPad is the latest `` must have '' in technology . To enjoy the new toys , Americans are paying for more powerful mobile connections , too . The powerful pull of the new technology shows up in statistics from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Since the recession began in the fourth quarter of 2007 , real personal consumption has dropped in big categories of spending , such as motor vehicles , furniture , clothing , eating out and recreation services . There are only two major exceptions to this pattern of big cutbacks . For one , real consumption has risen in some health , education and social services -- all areas that receive a lot of government funding . But operating without big government subsidies , the communications sector has shown equally impressive gains . Real consumption of cell phone services , adjusted for price changes , is up 12.6 percent since the end of 2007 . Purchases of internet service , adjusted for price changes , have risen by 5.1 percent , and personal purchases of telephone equipment , adjusted for price changes , are up more than 25 percent . At the same time , key communications-related industries have managed to keep adding jobs . Jobs at internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals -- think Google and Yahoo -- are up 16 percent since the recession started in December 2007 . Employment in the `` custom computer programming '' industry -- think website and apps development -- took a hit in the first half of 2009 , but since then has bounced back strong . The same is true for jobs in wireless telecom , which bottomed out in July 2009 and have been on a slow upward trend since then . This strength signals that the broad communications sector can help drive recovery , because businesses that hire during a recession usually carry that strength into the subsequent upswing . If history is any guide , these job leaders may grow at least twice as fast as the rest of the economy during the next expansion . That brings us to regulators and government policy . Policymakers should follow the principle of `` do no harm '' when dealing with communications , one of the few sectors showing vibrant growth . That means the FCC should avoid the temptation to add rules , even with good intentions . In particular , the FCC is considering bringing broadband under the same common carrier rules that govern older phone networks . This tightening of the regulatory regime would be part of a move toward net neutrality , a policy that would impose rules on broadband providers and govern the services and products they could offer . The debate over net neutrality is heated , and there are strong arguments on both sides . But whether or not you think that such a move is a good idea , such regulations are unlikely to boost investment or employment in the telecom industry , at a time when we need all the capital spending and jobs that we can get . For that reason , I suggest a two-year pause in new broadband regulation , keeping the current balance among the different players , which seems to be generating growth . At the same time , the knowledge that the regulator remains on duty , ready to intervene , would provide an essential check . Such a countercyclical approach requires regulatory discipline and wisdom . Yes , we know from recent experience that regulators can be too lax . But there 's an important difference between deliberate restraint by a regulator who remains alert for the right moment to step back in and a regulator who has gone to sleep . For now , getting more Americans working is more important than imposing too much regulation on growing sectors . Let 's help the job leaders soar . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Michael Mandel .
Michael Mandel : Even in recession , people spending more on digital communications . Policy should stoke jobs and spending engine of communications , Mandel writes . Comment: Need regulatory policy that allows growth but could clamp down if needed , he says .