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President Obama, in a heavily partisan speech defending his signature health
care law, claimed Thursday "there's no widespread evidence" it is hurting jobs
-- despite widespread reports that businesses are cutting back worker hours in order to avoid extra costs tied to the law.
The charge that ObamaCare is driving Americans into part-time work is one of
the central claims that opponents make in arguing for the law to be defunded or
delayed. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reiterated the claim during his 21-hour floor
speech against ObamaCare this week.
I think it is reasonable to say that Obamacare has cost some jobs. The number is minimal though and it is only temporary. Inevitably, employers will come to grips with the reality of Obamacare and their labor needs and ability to recruit in an improving economy. When we have employee choice again, who is going to choose to work for the guy who keeps your hours down and pays no benefits while the guy down the street works you 40 and pays part of your health insurance too? The real problem is not Obamacare but an anemic economy and lax immigration enforcement that lets employers deny benefits to their employees,
I think it is reasonable to say that Obamacare has cost some jobs. The number is minimal though and it is only temporary. Inevitably, employers will come to grips with the reality of Obamacare and their labor needs and ability to recruit in an improving economy. When we have employee choice again, who is going to choose to work for the guy who keeps your hours down and pays no benefits while the guy down the street works you 40 and pays part of your health insurance too? The real problem is not Obamacare but an anemic economy and lax immigration enforcement that lets employers deny benefits to their employees,
But all things being equal, if you raise the cost of something then less of it will be purchased or used. Obamacare raises the cost of employment. It necessarily has an enduring, negative impact on jobs.
The answer is to sever the link between employment and healthcare, which is mainly a historical accident anyway. Health care reform is screaming for reform. Too bad the most energetic Republicans are on a path to nowhere, the Democrats are afraid to fix the obvious mistakes, and people are lining up to defend one side or the other instead of demanding progress on the common ground.
I agree with Ponderosa....It's likely that the ACA has been responsible for some layoffs or reduced hours but it will work itself out....just as all legislation has. Despite GOP group-think the ACA will not spell an end to the US economy. If we remember our history lessons, the same exact fervor was interjected at Medicare and Social Security's inception.
But all things being equal, if you raise the cost of something then less of it will be purchased or used. Obamacare raises the cost of employment. It necessarily has an enduring, negative impact on jobs.
The answer is to sever the link between employment and healthcare, which is mainly a historical accident anyway. Health care reform is screaming for reform. Too bad the most energetic Republicans are on a path to nowhere, the Democrats are afraid to fix the obvious mistakes, and people are lining up to defend one side or the other instead of demanding progress on the common ground.
It depends on the elasticity. Employment is not particularly elastic unless productivity can be moved up. Eventually you reach the limit on that and have to hire. The limit comes along much faster in service industries which is where a good percentage of those whose hours are being cut are employed.
Now as for breaking the link between employment and healthcare, YES, YES and DOUBLE YES and and another helping of YES. One could not conjure a more absurd way of delivering care if he tried. But the arrangement seems to be sacred in the US for whatever reason. A major, maybe the greatest, advantage to Medicare is that it has nothing to do with what you do.
Sorry, but you just shot your own credibility in the head with that one.
Sorry, but are you just another blind follower of the Presidents words? How could you not see this happening? PS it goes media reports.
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