Wall Street Journal survey of economists--
The main reason U.S. companies are reluctant to step up hiring is scant demand, rather than uncertainty over government policies, according to a majority of economists in a new Wall Street Journal survey.
"There is no demand," said Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics. "Businesses aren't confident enough, and the longer this goes on the harder it is to convince them that they should be."
In the survey, conducted July 8-13 and released Monday, 53 economists—not all of whom answer every question—were asked the main reason employers aren't hiring more readily. Of the 51 who responded to the question, 31 cited lack of demand (65%) and 14 (27%) cited uncertainty about government policy. The others said hiring overseas was more appealing.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303661904576452181063763332.htmlSmall business survey--
Now, Small Business Majority, a small business advocacy group, has released a survey that adds further support to the idea that demand, not taxes and regulation, are the reason the economy remains sluggish. The survey of 1,200 small business owners found that only 13 percent listed regulation as their main concern, and only 23 percent said taxes were their biggest problem. Forty-six percent cited economic uncertainty as their greatest worry.
The survey also found that 76 percent of small business owners polled believe the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should regulate carbon emissions and 80 percent favored increased fuel-efficiency standards for motor vehicles.
Many lawmakers, of course, prefer to focus on taxes and regulation because there’s more political mileage in it. But if the economy is going to recover, we need fiscal policy that addresses the problems of demand. That is going to be much more difficult, which is why you don’t hear many politicians talking about it. Small business owners, though, will tell you that.
http://blog.chron.com/lorensteffy/2011/10/survey-small-businesses-say-regulation-isnt-the-problem/