Springfield Business Journal_2019-07-29

Data on the following pages are from the 2019 SBJ Economic Growth Survey by H2R Market Research. Graphics by Amanda Miller Access to Skilled Workers Cost of Doing Business 49% 48% 39% 43% 7% 6% 5% 3% Worsened Stayed the Same Improved IDK BIGGEST BUSINESS CHALLENGES Talent Acquisition / Retention 35% Attracting New Customers 35% Minimum Wage Increase 21% TOP CONCERNS Talking about attracting new businesses, if there’s not the qualified workforce to fill the needs, then they’re either not going to come or they’re going to siphon off that talent from somebody else creating another hole. Flip it a different way: What’s going to attract the workforce? —Brad Erwin, Paragon Architecture LLC 5 2019 ECONOMIC GROWTH SURVEY