National and global economic conditions top the list of concerns for state business leaders, according to the latest Wisconsin Employer Survey. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) — the combined manufacturers’ association and state chamber of commerce — conducts the survey twice a year to gauge top issues facing the state’s business climate.
When asked, “What is the biggest concern facing your business,” 36% of respondents said it was the state of the national economy, while 13% said it was global economic conditions. Health care costs (11%) and labor availability (10%) also ranked within the responses.
Notably, the percentage of employers having difficulty finding workers dropped to 52%, which is the lowest number recorded by WMC in over a decade. Just six months ago, that was 63%.
Despite the uncertainty, 86% of survey respondents said their business was profitable in the last six months, and 92% predict they will be profitable through the end of 2025.
Business leaders also were asked to rate the strength of the Wisconsin and U.S. economies. Twenty percent called the Wisconsin economy “strong,” 68% called it “moderate,” and 12% said it is “weak.” Thirteen percent rate the U.S. economy as “strong,” 67% say it is “moderate,” and 19% call it “weak.”
Thirty-seven percent of respondents say Wisconsin is headed in the “right direction,” compared to 63% who say the state is headed in the “wrong direction.” Seventy-five percent say the U.S. is headed in the “right direction” versus 25% who believe it is headed in the “wrong direction.”
On the policy front, health care affordability topped the list of state-level issues for employers. Thirty-eight percent say addressing health care costs is “the one thing the state can do” to help their business, followed by reducing regulations (23%) and reducing taxes (21%).
