Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Political Turmoil Worries Manitoba Business Leaders
Winnipeg - A new Probe Research Inc. survey suggests the recent political turmoil on Broadway has shaken Manitoba’s business community, with a dwindling number of corporate leaders expressing confidence in the provincial government’s ability to make the province attractive environment for business.
The latest results of Probe Research’s annual Manitoba Business Leaders Index, which is an annual survey of 200 CEOs and business owners, shows that just 13 percent of provincial CEOs and business owners feel the Manitoba government is doing a good job of maintaining a pro-business climate in the province. This is a significant drop since this question was last asked in 2010, when 26 percent felt the province was doing a good job of encouraging business growth and investment. Meanwhile, one-third of business leaders (34%) gave the federal government approving grades for its business policies, while a slightly smaller number (28%) praised local governments for their efforts to encourage business development.
Other highlights of this year’s Manitoba Business Leaders Index include:
View full results
The latest results of Probe Research’s annual Manitoba Business Leaders Index, which is an annual survey of 200 CEOs and business owners, shows that just 13 percent of provincial CEOs and business owners feel the Manitoba government is doing a good job of maintaining a pro-business climate in the province. This is a significant drop since this question was last asked in 2010, when 26 percent felt the province was doing a good job of encouraging business growth and investment. Meanwhile, one-third of business leaders (34%) gave the federal government approving grades for its business policies, while a slightly smaller number (28%) praised local governments for their efforts to encourage business development.
Other highlights of this year’s Manitoba Business Leaders Index include:
- Nearly two-thirds of surveyed business leaders are currently optimistic about Manitoba’s economic future (64%, including 21% who are very optimistic). This is down by six percentage points since last year and off by fully 14 percentage points from the all- time high level mark posted in 2012.
- Fewer than one-half of surveyed CEOs (42%) expect their companies to be performing better financially in the year ahead – down by fully 10 percent since last year and reaching a new low not equaled since 2011.
- About one-in-five Manitoba employers (22%, virtually unchanged from 21% in 2013 and 22% in 2012) expect to hire more staff within the coming year, with eight percent of those surveyed indicating that they expect to reduce employee levels within the next 12 months.
- Slightly less than one-half of employers (47%) currently report that they have experienced difficulty finding skilled employees for their companies in 2014. This figure is almost identical to those posted in 2012 and 2013
- Nearly one-in-five CEOs (19%) now report that they will probably have to cut back the size of their workforces or reduce staff working hours in the next six months. This figure is up only slightly from 17 percent last year, although this current figure is the highest level recorded since 2007.
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