The Affordable Care Act is projected to reduce the number of full-time workers by roughly 2.3 million people through 2021 and insure 2 million fewer people this year than previously estimated, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday.
The CBO had previously estimated the labor force impact would be around 800,000 people in that time frame. CBO said the jobs figures largely represent Americans who will choose not to work rather than those who will lose their jobs or have their workweeks reduced because of the law.
The new estimates could further complicate the political landscape for many vulnerable Democrats, as Republicans are planning to use the health-care law as a key cudgel in November. The White House has also been working to try and reverse the number of workers who are leaving the labor market, and CBO’s new estimates on this phenomenon could also embolden many in the GOP. . .