The Effect of Obamacare on Job Numbers

Obamacare is a very controversial topic. It could either help or destroy the economy, depending on how you view it. There are so many different views from so many different people on the effect that Obamacare has on jobs and businesses. IHS, a global firm hired to provide analysis of labor trends, does not even mention the Affordable Care Act in their most recent report about factors affecting employment numbers in Texas, which was published last year. Michael Lindenberger says that "the company said that's because it's not clear how or even if the act will affect net employment across the country, or in Texas."

Lindenberger starts off by saying that "Texas' two senators and many other critics of the Affordable Care Act keep saying it will cost America jobs just when it needs them the most." He also says that "senator Ted Cruz said last weekend that the law 'hands down, is the biggest job killer in this country'," and that "that's not happening yet- and probably won't, say labor economists, nonpartisan experts and some Dallas-area business leaders." In my opinion, since I have read so many different views on the topic, it is safe to say that there is no solid answer to whether or not Obamacare is helping or hurting jobs and businesses. There are too many different opinions out there from different people, and even the statistics aren't clear as to whether or not Obamacare has had a positive or negative impact on jobs in the country. Lindenberger says that University of Texas economics professor Daniel Hamermesh says "Obamacare will create some incentives to reduce hours or trim workforces, since insurance costs could rise. But they say the law will also benefit many of those same companies, leading to new jobs and longer workweeks for some." Lindenberger then asks "How exactly will that balancing act pan out?"

Michael Lindenberger's article goes on to basically tell you about many different views of Obamacare from people. Many say it is helpful, many say it will do nothing, and many say it could go either way. "You can raise hours for some at the expense of others and not affect the average workweek. Depending on the balancing, employment either goes up or down. There is no one-way answer," says Mike Montgomery, the U.S. economist for international information and analytics firm IHS. "Mathematically, Obamacare's impacts on job numbers could go either way," he says.

Source: "Economists: Obamacare's impact on jobs likely to be minimal" by Michael A. Lindenberger, from dallasnews.com. 10/12/13