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FORT MYERS — A survey of senior business executives in Lee County says finding qualified employees and rising health care costs are their biggest challenges in the economic recovery.
The survey conducted by the Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University says 54% of executives plan to hire people at their companies in the next year and just 4% expect to reduce employment.
Finding qualified employees is the top business challenge cited by 22% of executives. Health care costs ranked second with 17% of respondents citing that as the primary business challenge.
The survey says 69% of business executives believe Lee County's economy is moderately better and 8% say it's substantially better today compared with one year ago. Just 2% believe conditions have worsened.
Future expectations are upbeat, with 71% of survey respondents who believe conditions will be moderately better in the year ahead and 11% who say they will be substantially better. Only 2% believe conditions will worsen.
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