More U.S. companies plan to hire and buy new equipment during the next six to 12 months even as the recovery shows signs of cooling, according to a quarterly survey of economists.
The percentage of businesses expecting to hire in the next six months exceeded the share projecting leaner payrolls by 25 points, up from 21 points in April, according to a survey by the National Association of Business Economics. The share expecting capital spending to advance also outpaced those forecasting a decline by 25 points.
While the economists forecast improvements in the labor market and business investment, they lowered their estimates for economic growth after sales gains slowed in the second quarter. The share of respondents forecasting growth below 3.1 percent increased to 79 percent from 75 percent in April.
Full story: Companies in U.S. Say They Plan to Boost Hiring, Survey Shows – BusinessWeek
