Only 1/3 of CEO's planning to hire more

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - Only one-third of CEO’s plan to hire more employees in the next six months, a new outlook suggests.

The new survey was authored by Business Roundtable; an association whose members employ nearly 16 million people in the country.

The association found that while third of CEO’s are planning to hire in the next six months, 37% say they don't plan to hire at all, and 34% admitted they'll cut jobs in the near future.

Employment experts say the trend is not translating locally yet, because the Pioneer Valley is mainly a small business-driven economy.

“There is a trickle down that happens to that, and although these are projections they are based on the fear of the economy, sometimes this happens kind of right before an election actually, so we are very nervous about it,” said David Gadaire, Executive Director of Career Point , a Holyoke-based agency that works to match job seekers with employers.

Gadaire says if that trend does not turn around, it can impact western Massachusetts in the next 6 to 12 months. Right now, it is hoped that the slow, steady growth in the regional economy will continue.