Business Confidence at 20 Year High
From Financial Times:Confidence among US business leaders is stronger than it has been for 20 years, according to a long-running measure of boardroom attitudes, as rising profits finally encourage companies to start hiring.
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The quarterly survey by the Conference Board confirms last week's official employment data suggesting concerns about a jobless recovery may be waning.
In recent quarters, companies have been wary of hiring staff, preferring to make greater use of existing capacity, but continued growth and record profitability appears to be convincing managers that productivity improvements alone may not be enough to meet rising demand.
Half the chief executives who responded to the Conference Board's lastest poll said they expected employment in their industry to rise, compared with just 12 per cent who predicted a fall - the most optimistic response on jobs since the research group began its analysis in 1976.
Overall confidence levels about the economy are the highest since 1983, with more than three quarters of CEOs expecting continued growth over the next six months.
Matt's Chat
Here's a clue hamsters, this isn't because of John Kerry's crazy idea about outsourcing. I blame Bush, myself...Mark's Remarks
WHAT?!?? You mean business and financial leaders aren't quaking over the bazillion sinful (and not true) things the Dimo-craps have charged him with in ruining the economy? Say it ain't so! It must be Halliburton mind control! It must be a bad survey! Wait, let me get the liars on the Left Coast who are celebrities and haven't built anything themselves except bong piles to weigh in...let's get Babs on the line, surely this formerly drugged out has been has a clue, right? It cannot be good, because then, Johnny Boy and Teddy Hiccup would be liars, right? Egads!
