Duke CFO Survey Shows Pessimism

The latest Duke University CFO Magazine survey shows rising pessimism among companies in the US and abroad.

Chief Financial Officers say they expect to increase hiring by only one-point-five-percent in the next year.  That’s a decrease from the last two quarterly global business outlook surveys.  As in other recent surveys, companies are cautious about hiring and spending because of weak demand for their products and because of the upcoming presidential election.  The CFO survey also says a drop in the interest rate won’t change their minds.  The latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey shows a positive hiring trend across the country and in North Carolina for the fourth quarter. But Manpower only reports on an employers’ general hiring intentions not on the number of jobs they plan to add.