or social security evasion Ability to hire employees according to personal traits not related to suitability for employment (e.g. gender, sexuality, ethnic/religious affiliations etc.) Ability to hire those who were formerly qualified, and still potentially able to do the job (e.g. blacklisted, disbarred, forced retirement, struck off, etc.) Ability to hire underage, teenage employees without going through child labor laws or hire those below the minimum working age (e.g. for short-term projects) Quicker, faster hiring process from application to job attainment. Disadvantages Unreported employment can have harmful effects on government, employers, and employees. Unreported employment directly affects the government's ability to fund resources (government spending). It causes a tax gap by the reducing tax revenue of a government. A 2005 University of California, Los Angeles, study showed that the economy in California was weakened by more than two million workers being paid without paying taxes. Indeed, it is estimated that over US$214.6 billion went unreported to the IRS last year alone from this. Those who are employed under the table, including undocumented immigrants, may be denied rights that legally employed workers have, such as minimum wage, various benefits (particularly unemployment benefits), and fair treatment. Under-the-table employees who lose their jobs may not be entitled to collect unemployment benefits. They have limited causes of action against their employers for mistreatment, on-the-job work accidents, or lack of payment. Employers have limited cause of actions against employees who commit crimes such as embezzlement, theft, or abuse of employer. If practices are widespread, legitimate businesses may be undercut by and may have difficulty competing with those who employ staff illegally. Government revenue agencies look for lifestyles out of line with the income reported. They have tools that aid in assessing unreported taxes, which can result in large fines or jail time for the employer. Advantages Many entrepreneurs fail to report their first part-time hired employees. The complexity of employment regulations and large amount of paperwork can be daunting, especially when someone is needed for only a few hours a week. That early underground employment may be a vital step in the growth of a healthy open economy. Day laborers fill immediate gaps during labor shortages in some segments of the construction and landscape industries. Background checks, identification, required paperwork, and government filings for only a day's work can be prohibitive. That encourages unreported employment of short-term laborers. A large amount of work for only