The False Claim That ObamaCare Isn't Costing Jobs

In a recent Washington Post article, Democrat and Obama Economist, Jared Bernstein, along with another lesser known writer said, simply from its title "Yet another inconvenient truth for its opponents: Obamacare is not ‘killing jobs’".  Of course, in the article, they point to facts that support their claim.

Others have pointed out that jobless claims this year have been at 42-year lows despite this being the same year that the employee mandate kicked in.  So, how can it be said that ObamaCare is costing jobs?

The problem is, that jobs are being lost in a way that is not obvious from the employment reports.  As of 2014, 34% of the workforce, or 53 million employees, are contracted labor;  up from just 7% of the workforce or 10 million workers in 2005.  And, up 11 million workers or almost 25% in just one year, from 42 million in 2013.  The real inconvenient truth is that employees are being converted to contractors as employers maneuver to avoid federal and state mandates like matching FICA payments, salaried overtime requirements, and, oh yes, Obamacare.

Also, be aware that when an independent contractor (freelancer) is laid off, he/she is not eligible for unemployment insurance.  Additionally, 4% of our workforce are involuntarily working part-time.  That's almost 50% higher than the traditional 2.7%.  This despite the supposed lowering of the unemployment rate to 5%.  The only rational explanation for this is that employers are avoiding the 50 full time employees rule of ObamaCare by converting full time jobs to part time.

References:

Yet another inconvenient truth for its opponents: Obamacare is not ‘killing jobs’: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/11/09/yet-another-inconvenient-truth-for-its-opponents-obamacare-is-not-killing-jobs/

How Businesses Are Handling the Obamacare Employer Mandate: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/239039

Freelancer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freelancer

53 million Americans are freelancing, new survey finds:  https://www.freelancersunion.org/blog/dispatches/2014/09/04/53million/

US jobless claims fall 7K, revisit 42-year lows - CNBC.com: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/15/us-jobless-claims-fall-7k-revisit-42-year-lows.html

Table A-8. Employed persons by class of worker and part-time status: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t08.htm