Regarding employers not hiring because of the government

[Tony_FLADEM]

All the costs involved in hiring an employee (health insurance, workers compensation, the payroll tax) have existed for many decades. I don't think these things necessarily put businesses at a disadvantage because all business entities in the U.S. have to deal with these costs. In other words, it does not give one business an advantage over another.

Most businesses already provide health insurance for their employees, so I don't think the
government mandate that certain businesses provide insurance will make much of a difference. If we are going to have an employer based health care system, why should some businesses provide insurance and the employees of other businesses rely on the tax payer (Medicaid) or go to the emergency room and rely on those with insurance (uncompensated cost).

Yes, you want to make it easier for businesses to operate in this country, but not to such an extent that it negatively effects the well being of the middle class and poor in this country.

I think the real reason businesses are not hiring is for political reasons. They want to help the Republican party get back into power.

[Andy823]

1. Yes...

It is all about the politics. Business's owned by right wingers are not hiring in order to keep unemployment numbers up and get republicans back in charge of congress come November. They don't care how much it hurts the economy, nor do they care how much harder their current employees have to work to keep up. Until the elections are over they won't hire! They have all kinds of excuses, and they blame it all on the WH and the democrats in congress, but reality is simply that they are playing the political game and I hope it backfires big time on them!

[phantom power]

2. I think it is even more straightforward: business aren't hiring because of low demand.

We have a crappy economy with 9.5% unemployment. People are either out of work, or worried about being out of work. Wages have been stagnated for years.

Nobody has money to spend. Demand is down and flat. Who's going to hire in that environment?

[thetonka]

3. It's not always about the parties

Every small business owner I know, and I know quite a few, is unhappy with both political parties and has little hope from or received little encouragement from anything either party says.

The few small businesses I know of that are thriving and hiring(mostly in the brewing industry, and support industries) were mostly supporters of Obama and the Democrats during the last round of elections. ALL of them are now unhappy with the way the Democrats and Obama are running the country.

Small businesses worry about the bottom line first and foremost, politics is quite a long way down the list. It's not like they have large political war chests like many corporations do.

[taught_me_patience]

4. The reason they aren't hiring is because there is still overcapacity

and low demand.