When government messes with the free market, economic decline ensues

Well, well. Up in Connecticut, the legislature thought it would be a progressive thing to do  to tell private organizations how to conduct their affairs (i.e., make them institute paid family leave).

So how's it working out?

Connecticut’s paid sick leave law has led employers to reduce benefits, cut hours, and slow hiring, according to a new report.

University of Kentucky economist Thomas Ahn found that businesses face rising costs associated with a 2012 state law mandating paid sick leave. Younger workers bore the brunt of the increase in labor costs, which lowered their take-home pay by over $850, according to his research.

“While older employees seem largely unimpacted by the law, younger employees in Connecticut aged 20-34 saw a 24-hour reduction in annual hours worked,” the report states. “For a part-time employee in the service industry, that’s the equivalent of roughly one lost week of work per year. These employees lost $850 per year in annual income, the equivalent of 3.5 fewer pre-tax paychecks for someone working part-time at the state’s minimum wage.”

The law also hurt employers and job seekers. Absenteeism increased by “1.2 days per year,” leading to staffing shortages as a result of paid leave. Some businesses slowed hiring to deal with lost shifts; roughly 20 percent of 86 employers surveyed in 2013 reported that they “had reduced hours or staffing levels.”

The Freedom-Haters have put a nationwide version of this in their platform this year.

Young post-Americans interested in a chance to prosper may want to consider this.