Sixty-nine percent of small-business owners and managers say complicated government regulations pose major obstacles to job creation, according to a new nationwide survey conducted by Clarus Research Group and commissioned by Common Good, a nonpartisan government reform coalition.
To avoid those complications, another 68 percent of respondents report that more businesses are investing in new technology as opposed to new employees. This is especially hurting job creation because the survey finds that small businesses employ half of the nation's private-sector work force and accounts for more than 99 percent of employers.
Among the respondents, 86 percent say when it comes to protecting public health and safety, regulations would be more effective if they provided clear, certain goals along with more freedom to use common sense when making daily decisions. Rather, 89 percent of respondents believe that most government bureaucrats make decisions based on rules as opposed to common sense.
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Respondents say the top two obstacles to business growth and job creation are burdensome government regulations at 27 percent and a legal system that encourages too many lawsuits at 23 percent. Other obstacles include difficulty in obtaining financing at 20 percent, high taxes on business at 18 percent, availability of a qualified work force at 9 percent and rising energy costs at 7 percent.
"To stimulate new jobs, America's political leaders should radically simplify the bureaucratic tangle," says Philip K. Howard, founder and chair of Common Good. "This presidential race is the ideal time to build a consensus around that concept."
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