Monday, December 19, 2011

Another Way Obamacare Is Costing Jobs

Despite claims that Obamacare would create 4 million new jobs, in reality the more than 10,000 pages of Obamacare-related regulations and notices released by the federal government to date have helped to slow hiring by businesses across the economy.  A study released earlier this month by the American Action Forum concluded that Obamacare’s regulations have cost over $12 billion.  That represents a paperwork cost of over 30 million hours, or the equivalent of 15,000 full-time employees, just to handle Obamacare’s new mandates, forms, and regulations.  All those new mandates will strangle the small businesses that are America’s job creators, impeding their ability to innovate, expand their firms, and grow the economy.

Of course, some providers are actually adding jobs thanks to the new law.  USA Today reported last month about one hospital in New Hampshire that is hiring – it’s hiring administrative workers designed to deal with “government reporting requirements….A lot of this is related to the new health care law.”  The move came only AFTER the hospital laid off more than 100 nurses and caregivers.   Such is the nature of the “job creation” and “reform” Obamacare hath wrought.