Fewer Milwaukee area business leaders are predicting second quarter sales gains than a year ago, according to the quarterly Business Outlook Survey conducted by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
Sixty-five percent of businesses surveyed expect to see sales increases in the second quarter, 61 percent expect profit gains and 46 expect job gains, compared to a year ago.
A year ago, 76 percent of business leaders responding to the survey predicted second quarter sales gains.
“The levels of optimism expressed on the three business metric surveyed, sales, profit and employment, are tepid by historical standards,” said Bret Mayborne, MMAC’s economic research director. “Nonetheless, survey results suggest that business activity will remain on the upswing into the year’s second quarter and beyond.”
The Business Outlook Survey contains responses from 133 Milwaukee area firms, both large and small, employing more than 37,000.
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