Tax and Spend

US companies are preparing for the eurozone to kick Greece out.

He's a nice example of how governments make it terribly expensive to hire people.

"When you add it all up, it costs $74,000 to put $44,000 in Sally's pocket and to give her $12,000 in benefits. Bottom line: Governments impose a 33% surtax on Sally's job each year.
The disconnect between unemployed workers and jobs is likely to continue for some time. Hiring by small firms, which as a group typically account for a super-sized share of job growth during an economic rebound, will likely remain slow for a multitude of reasons, thanks in large part to the “employee surtax.”"

That means Sally must generate more than $74,000 in wealth for her employer and be willing to do so for only $44,000. This illustrates how government forces workers to accept much lower salaries than they could earn in a free market.