Uncertainty Facing Job Creators
September 22, 2010

Hi, I’m Gene Barr, vice president of the Pennsylvania Chamber. Welcome to this month’s Pennsylvania Chamber Minute.

With the U.S. unemployment rate hovering at near 10 percent, the slow rebound of private-sector job creation remains a huge concern.

Several factors impact job creation, but many business leaders and economist agree the underlying reason why companies are reluctant to invest in their workforces can be summed up in one word – uncertainty.

New and proposed laws and regulatory changes at the state and federal level are leaving employers with unanswered questions about the long-term costs of creating a job.

The new federal finance regulatory act alone contains nearly 243 new formal rules by 11 different agencies.  And ever since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s infamous statement that Congress had to pass the 2,300 page health-care reform law, so we could, “find out what’s in it,” employers are learning what that means - taxes, mandates and a bureaucratic red tape nightmare thanks to its 1099 reporting requirements. And there are more surprises likely to come.

In addition, labor leaders are renewing the push for union card check legislation, even if it takes a back-door approach through the National Labor Relations Board to achieve its job-crushing provisions.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is also considering bills that would dictate how employers run their businesses – from calls for mandated paid sick leave to mandated wages to a significant state expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act. These proposals eliminate the flexibility employers require to effectively and efficiently operate.

Elected officials in Washington and in Harrisburg must eliminate this culture of uncertainty and unpredictability that is stifling job creation and hurting chances for meaningful economic recovery. Government cannot tax, spend or mandate prosperity. Economic growth can only occur in an environment that allows private sector job creation to flourish.

The Pennsylvania Chamber is fully engaged, working with our members, other business groups, local chamber partners and the public in the effort to make sure lawmakers heed this message.

Thank you for your continued confidence in and support of this mission. And thank you for spending a minute of your time with the Pennsylvania Chamber, the Statewide Voice of Business.