Rising health care costs delay hiring

More than half of senior executives name offering health care benefits as the top business challenge, and 35 percent of senior executives say they are delaying bringing in more employees because of health care reform and its related costs, according to a new survey by Adecco Staffing US.

Still, health care costs have long remained a challenge for employers as another 35 percent of respondents say it ranked as their primary concern prior to the recession. Salary and compensation costs come in as the second concern in today’s climate, according to 41 percent of respondents, an increase from 33 percent before the recession.