Lack of Workers for Connecticut Jobs Causing Concern
The Connecticut jobs are there, but the workers are not.
A recent survey, completed by the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, shows business owners in the state are concerned about a shortage of available workers, according to an article by The Register Citizen.
“(The survey) shows widespread concern about the state of the Connecticut and national economies, and the cost of doing business in Connecticut, but widespread optimism about the growth potential of respondents’ individual businesses,” the article notes. “The quality of life in Northwest Connecticut was seen as a key factor in making it a good place to operate a business.”
About 40 percent of those who responded to the survey, which was completed by 489 business leaders in Northwest Connecticut, said their companies’ current business conditions were good or excellent, while 34 percent said they were average and 28 percent said they were fair or poor.
In the past year, 21 percent of businesses who responded increased their full-time workforce and 66 percent remained at the same staffing level. Throughout the next 12 months, 20 percent plan to add jobs, 72 percent expect to remain the same and 8 percent expect to cut jobs.
Those who responded to the survey said the most important industries to Northwest Connecticut are manufacturing at 29 percent, technology at 22 percent, arts and culture at 22 percent and hospitality and tourism at 13 percent.
“The survey also showed grave concerns among business leaders about the cost of energy, with more than a third saying that they’d increased the prices of their products and services due to higher energy costs alone,” the article adds. “Another 19 percent said that high energy costs have hindered their ability to expand, and 12 percent said energy costs have prevented them from adding jobs at their business.