ECONOMY

Employers Pessimistic about Jobs Plan

Say only a stronger economy would get them to hire.

This could be bad news for President Obama and his jobs proposal. Employers say only a strong economy, not tax credits, will prompt them to hire new workers. For some employers, there just isn't enough business to give new workers something to do. As for the credit given to employers who hire those who have been unemployed for six months or more, some CEOs said they were unlikely to do so even if the government gave them a $4,000 tax credit. Economists estimate the jobs plan could create between 500,000 and 2 million new jobs next year, but most of those jobs would come from infrastructure spending and increased consumer spending made possible by the payroll tax cut for workers.