Snagajob poll: Election is non-factor for hourly employers’ decision-making

Richmond, Va. -- Poll results released Monday by hourly employment network Snagajob found that most hourly employers are not waiting until after Election Day to make business decisions. The survey found that more than half of hourly employers (55%) cited potential healthcare requirements as the key presidential election issue most likely to affect their business. Possible economic stimulus plans (25%) and tax code changes (14%) were among other concerns weighing on hourly employers.



But while hiring managers cited healthcare requirements as a chief concern pending the outcome of the presidential election, business as usual does indeed continue. More than two-thirds (67%) said that they did not have a “wait and see” attitude about their business plans during the campaign process.



“Some in the market may have expected that hourly employers would have a ‘wait and see’ business attitude in light of the upcoming election,” said Jason Hamilton, VP marketing, Snagajob. “But when you consider that about 60% of our workforce is paid by the hour and that hourly businesses support many of the everyday services that we depend on, it makes sense that hourly employers have to press on, presidential election or not.”



Staffing, said the group, remains the top priority – specifically, hiring and retaining good employees. When asked to evaluate a number of business factors, 64% of hourly employers said that the ability to hire good employees was “extremely important,” with a similar number citing the ability to retain good employees (63%). When evaluating other factors, 35% of hourly employers said a decrease in consumer spending was “extremely important” in terms of affecting their business, as is an increase in hard costs (29%).



The majority of hiring managers (57%) noted they encourage their employees to vote.



The online survey was administered between Sept. 7-21, 2012, garnering 362 employer responses of various industries and sizes.