Business Leaders More Optimistic on Sales Than Jobs

Two recent surveys have shown that chief executive officers, supply managers and small business leaders are optimistic that sales will increase next year, but they do not predict hiring to increase, Bloomberg reported.

A survey by Business Roundtable found that three times as many CEOs expect sales to grow in the next six months than project payrolls to increase, Bloomberg said.

The Institute for Supply Chain Management found that service companies predict additional job cuts in 2010. Service companies account for almost 90% of the economy, Bloomberg said.

The Business Roundtable survey showed that 68% of CEOs expect sales to grow, compared with 51% last quarter, Bloomberg said.

Factory purchasing managers said sales will grow 5.7% next year, while service providers predict sales to rise 1.3%, ISM said. Manufacturers expect a 1.5% increase in employment and service companies project a 0.6% drop.