Smerconish: Are benefits hurting companies' ability to hire workers? (CNN)

[ItsjustMe]

The new jobs report shows many openings are going unfilled. Are unemployment benefits so high that people are not incentivized to go back to work? CNN's Michael Smerconish examines the trend.

[Dawson Leery]

1. "Labor has the upper hand..." that is the root of the controversy over this.

[onecaliberal]

2. Because paying people slave wages and holding them down from progress

While the employer reaps all the benefits is so much better. NOT!

[Atticus]

4. This. nt

[Sibelius Fan]

3. Always love it when "the media made me a millionaire" types like Smerconish

examine the situation of the unemployed.

[Chainfire]

5. Typical Republicanism

It is not that unemployment benefits are too high, it is that wages are too damn low.

I have heard a lot of minimum wage payers complaining about not being able to recruit and retain workers...no shit sherlock! Here in Florida minimum wage went up to $8.56 per hour this year. Then you have the larger employers like Wal-Mart who keep their workers hours under the minimum numbers of hours to have expanded benefits. We are good at creating millionaires, but we suck at paying wages that put food on the table and a roof over your head.

The really amazing thing is that the Republicans have indoctrinated many working people to believe that that is the way is should be, and that paying a living wage is Socialism.

[Midnight Writer]

6. Yes, of course. Working people have it too good and the rich are suffering from too many taxes.

I think our country is reaching a tipping point where even the most sycophantic workers won't swallow that shit anymore.

[The Jungle 1]

7. Smerconish endorsed Obama

He was on morning drive at the time and I near crashed. He is not a typical republican.

If employers are having trouble getting help then the wages need to go UP. It is called supply and demand. CAPITALISM!
If you own a business and want to make money then you will have to pay a higher rate. Problem is our economy has been an employers market for so long the employers don't know how to act.

[LizBeth]

8. It amounts to about 15 an hour that is not SO high. Lordy. Restaurants are paying 3 bucks an hour.

They need to reflect. I have always felt that was criminal and encourage boys to get jobs anywhere but server just cause that is so wrong. I can just pay my bills and when i have done particularly well in not spending money (I have tightened beyond what most can) maybe have a 100-300 left over end of months so they need to not sound like it is over the moon in payments.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. Smerconish is an idiot

People are tired of working for the man and have found home-gigs, innovation, cloud computing and social networks to support their entrepreneurship. No wonder people don't want to work. Not commuting saves 10 hours travel, gas, risk, clothing, fatigue. That knocks $2500-3500 off the cost of having a job right off the top. Now learn to focus on your own bottom line, and make up the difference, and do it on your time, your dreams, your rewards, and no boss/coworkers to answer to, no holiday parties, no evaluations. If you can find a way to produce and also contribute to a retirement fund you're really nailing it.

[smirkymonkey]

13. +1000

[Me.]

10. Would He Work Without The Benefits He gets At CNN?

[Warpy]

11. Raise your damned wages

and people will be fighting to work for you, there will be less turnover meaning less training expenses, and a stable workforce is a more productive one overall.

People aren't disincentivized (is that a word?) to work. They just don't want to work for starvation wages, and that's what those "small business owners" (franchisees) are complaining about.

America needs a raise.

[3Hotdogs]

12. It ain't just wages... child care has disappeared.

"Take yer child to work" day, doesn't quite solve the problem of what to do with the tyke when School is closed.