麻豆影院

Audio Script

Colorado business confidence notches downward for fourth quarter
Oct. 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听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Richard Wobbekind
For the second quarter in a row the confidence of Colorado business leaders has dipped slightly, but remains in positive territory heading into the fourth quarter of 2015, according to the Leeds Business Confidence Index released today by CU-麻豆影院鈥檚 Leeds School of Business. Economist Richard Wobbekind says concerns about market volatility are behind this downward trend.
CUT 1 鈥淭he volatility in the market - people were getting their feet back on the ground - their retirement accounts were back on the ground. There have been several pieces written that it鈥檚 slowing consumption right now. That people are not willing to spend as much because of the decline in their wealth 鈥� the so-called wealth effect. (:15) I really think the market volatility is influencing pretty much everybody in the back of their minds 鈥� be it business owners or be it consumers.鈥� (:23)
Still, Wobbekind says, the confidence in Colorado鈥檚 economy measured positive - at 50 or higher - for all of the state metrics within the index, which include the state economy, industry sales, industry profits, capital expenditures and hiring plans.
CUT 2 鈥淎ll of the state components are positive. Really the only negative component 鈥� meaning below 50 鈥� was the perception of the national economy. (:09) So we still have positive sales and profits and we still have positive hiring and capital expenditure trends for the state and the overall actual number for the state is still quite high. It鈥檚 in the upper part of the 50s so there鈥檚 still a fair amount of optimism for business owners looking around Colorado.鈥� (:27)
Wobbekind, who is the executive director of the Leeds School鈥檚 Business Research Division, says all indications show that Colorado鈥檚 economic growth rate is strong and the confidence index forecasts will continue that way. His only concern is the rising cost of housing that could create problems down the road.
CUT 3 鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful that we are going to produce enough additional housing stock to take some of the pressure off of prices. According to the Federal Housing Finance Authority Colorado is number one in terms of statewide home appreciation over the last year with a growth rate of over 10 percent. (:19) This is something that could potentially not only put more pressure on people鈥檚 incomes in terms of their ability to buy a home or rent a place but make Colorado look a little less attractive.鈥� (:30)
Wobbekind says while there were some concerns about the rate of job growth the unemployment rates 鈥� 4.2 percent in August in Colorado compared to 5.1 percent nationally - are well within the realm of approaching full employment.
-CU-
听