麻豆影院

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Colorado second-quarter business confidence remains positive, says CU-麻豆影院 index
April 1, 2015听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Richard Wobbekind
Confidence among Colorado business leaders remains optimistic, increasing slightly going into the second quarter of 2015, according to the Leeds Business Confidence Index released today by the 麻豆影院鈥檚 Leeds School of Business.
The latest reading is a milestone, says CU-麻豆影院 economist Richard Wobbekind, because during the past eight quarters confidence has been more stable than ever in the index鈥檚 11-year history.

CUT 1听 鈥淲hat鈥檚 really noticeable when you look at the survey over the past three years - now we鈥檙e seeing very stable survey results. So business people are not only evaluating the economy and saying, 鈥榯hings look good鈥�, but they鈥檙e very confident quarter after quarter that their beliefs are very solid. (:19) So this really bodes well for not only just the next quarter or two, but, actually, longer term because they have stable expectations right now and very positive expectations right now.鈥� (:29)
He says this also shows that not only do business leaders believe the recession is over but that they鈥檙e seeing real economic growth in Colorado.
CUT 2 鈥淵ou鈥檇 have to say we鈥檙e firmly out of the recession. They鈥檙e seeing the amount of job growth that鈥檚 going on in the state. They鈥檙e seeing, apparently from what they鈥檙e saying on their surveys, very strong responses to sales growth, to people demanding more of their product and so that鈥檚 helping reinforce the fact that they believe we鈥檙e on a growth trajectory.鈥� (:19)
Wobbekind also says another indication of a healthy Colorado economy is that personal income is finally catching up to the economic growth the state is experiencing.
CUT 3 鈥淭he fact that personal income is rising so significantly year over year is certainly an indication that the overall health in the economy is stronger and very importantly, growing faster than the inflation rate year over year. So we鈥檙e starting to see real gains in personal income. (:16) It鈥檚 also, I think, reflective when you look at the hiring number in the index - it was the biggest increase in the survey this quarter. To me they鈥檙e finally saying, 鈥業鈥檓 comfortable in hiring people.鈥欌�� (:29)
And with the economy growing at a strong pace and the confidence of business leaders up, Wobbekind says wages should also be on the upswing.
CUT 4 鈥淵ou鈥檇 have to surmise with personal income going up and unemployment rate now at 4.2 percent for the last several months in the state that you鈥檙e going to start seeing wage effects. (:10) We know that they鈥檙e occurring in some areas already 鈥� construction and in manufacturing, and in high-tech types of jobs - but I have to believe that you鈥檙e going to see them in a much broader level at this point.鈥� (:23)
The only area where the confidence index is not strong is in the energy-producing sector. With oil prices remaining low energy companies are not hiring and, in some cases, laying off workers. And even with lower gas prices at the pump helping consumers to save money, Wobbekind says this will negatively impact the state.
CUT 5 鈥淲e鈥檝e analyzed the impacts of the energy prices on the economy and we believe Colorado being an energy producing state that the lower gas prices will actually be a net negative in terms of employment effects on the state. (:14) So you have the positives - certainly for tourism and certainly for the consumer - but given the amount of energy we produce in Colorado, the net will be negative.鈥� (:23)
For more information on the Leeds Business Confidence Index go to:听.
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