Senator Barrasso statement on March Unemployment Report
by Senator John Barrasso
April 5, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today (Friday, April 5, 2013), U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released the following statement regarding the March unemployment report. The report showed 88,000 new jobs, well below expectations and nearly 500,000 Americans leaving the workforce altogether.
"This terrible report makes it clear that millions of Americans are still unable to find good jobs and have stopped looking for work.
"We can’t afford for our workforce to continue to grow even smaller while Washington grows even bigger.
"We must break down barriers to job creation now. We can start with the President’s health care law – a major roadblock to economic growth. As Obamacare is implemented, it is forcing small business owners to lay off more workers and Americans to pay even higher premiums.
"If the President’s law is left unchanged, more of Americans join the ranks of the unemployed. It’s time for President Obama to finally admit that this law is dragging down the American economy and change course."
BACKGROUND
On April 4, 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released its annual Q1 2013 Small Business Survey (http://www.uschambersmallbusinessnation.com/community/q1-2013-small-business-survey). It confirmed that:
• Requirements of the health care law are now the biggest concern for small businesses, having bumped economic uncertainty from the top spot which it has held for the last two years.
• 77% say the health care law will make coverage for their employees more expensive, and 71% say the law makes it harder for them to hire more employees.
• 32% of small businesses plan to reduce hiring as a result of the employer mandate, and 31% will cut back hours to reduce the number of full time employees.
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