KEYSTONE BUSINESS CLIMATE SURVEY March 1998

Columnist : Lincoln Institute

1.) Pennsylvania State government currently spends about $750 million a year on job training and workforce development programs.  These programs provide for certain groups of people, like welfare recipients, community college students or the recently unemployed, to attend classes and train so they can perform certain types of jobs.  Which of the following do you think is the best way for government to spend money?

11% – Give the money to people so they can spend it on training they want.
71% – Give money to businesses to train newly hired employees.
18% – Fund job training programs which are approved by a state board and fit a government-created plan.

2.) Do you think students are graduating from public schools with the appropriate skills to get a job?

YES – 13%
NO – 80%
DON’T KNOW – 7%

3.) Do you think it is more important for public schools to educate kids to become good citizens, or to educate them to become good workers?

GOOD CITIZENS – 44%
GOOD WORKERS – 46%
DON’T KNOW – 10%

4.) Which do you think is a better idea:

100% – Improve public school academic standards so all graduates will have basic verbal and math skills.
0% – Pay for remedial education after graduation for those who need it.

5.) Which of the following two statements more accurately reflects your philosophy?

8% –   Public schools should provide employment-centered education to steer children toward those jobs or careers which              government-sponsored board think be available upon graduation
92% – Government boards cannot accurately predict future jobs growth and public schools should focus on providing basic              analytical, verbal and math skills which are applicable to all careers.

6.) How would you rate the quality of Pennsylvania’s workforce? (Choose One)

1% – Excellent
20% – Above Average
67% – Average
11% – Below Average
1% – Poor

7.) What do you think Governor Ridge’s proposes 1998-99 state budget will have on job growth in Pennsylvania?

7% – Major Positive Effect
55% – Minor Positive Effect
36% – No Significant Effect
1% – Minor Negative Effect
1% – Major Negative Effect

8.) What effect has the deregulation of the electricity market had on your business to date?

3% – Major Positive Effect
13% – Minor Positive Effect
79% – No Significant Effect
4% – Minor Negative Effect
1% – Major Negative Effect

9.) What effect do you think the deregulation of the electricity market in Pennsylvania will have on your business over next five years?

18% – Major Positive Effect
48% – Minor Positive Effect
28% – No Significant Effect
3% – Minor Negative Effect
3% – Major Negative Effect

10.) How do you think the financial crisis in Asia will affect Pennsylvania’s economy?

1% – Major Positive Effect
8% – Minor Positive Effect
31% – No Significant Effect
55% – Minor Negative Effect
5% – Major Negative Effect

11.) What do you think will be the effect on business of a Clinton resignation or impeachment?

10% – Major Positive Effect
15% – Minor Positive Effect
40% – No Significant Effect
23% – Minor Negative Effect
12% – Major Negative Effect

 12.) Generally speaking, do you think business conditions in Pennsylvania are better, the same or worse than six months ago?

BETTER – 46%
SAME – 48%
WORSE – 5%
NO OPINION – 1%

13.) Look ahead to the coming six months, do you think business conditions will be better, the same, or worse than they are now?

BETTER – 28%
SAME – 60%
WORSE – 11%
NO OPINION – 1%

14.)
 Are employment levels at your company higher, the same or lower than they were six months ago?

HIGHER – 43%
SAME – 40%
LOWER – 17%
NO OPINION – 0%

15.) Do you anticipate that employment levels at your company will go up, stay the same or drop in the coming six months?

GO UP – 40%
SAME – 52%
DROP – 8%
NO OPINION – 0%

16.) Have your company’s sales increased, stayed relatively the same or decreased during the past six months?

INCREASE – 57%
SAME – 27%
DECREASE – 15%
NO OPINION – 0%

17.) Do you expect your company’s sales to increase, stayed relatively the same or decrease during the next six months?

INCREASE – 67%
SAME – 28%
DECREASE – 4%
NO OPINION – 1%

18.) At any point in the PAST SIX MONTHS has your company considered moving all or part of its Pennsylvania operations to another state?

7% – Did move some operations
1% – Considered moving all operations
19% – Considered moving some operations
2% – Moved operations to Pennsylvania
70% – Didn’t consider any moves

19.) Do you foresee at any point in the COMING SIX MONTHS your company considering moving all or part of its Pennsylvania operations to another state?

1% – May move some operations from Pennsylvania
20% – May move some operations from Pennsylvania
3% – May move some operations to Pennsylvania
75% – Won’t be considering any moves

20.) Generally speaking, do you have a positive, negative or no opinion of the job performance of the following individuals?

POSITIVE NEGATIVE NO OPINION
President Bill Clinton 22% 70% 8%
Alan Greenspan 85% 6% 9%
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter 37% 33% 30%
U.S. Senator Rick Santorum 70% 10% 20%
Governor Tom Ridge 85% 7% 8%

21.) Generally speaking, do you have a positive, negative or no opinion of the job performance of the following individuals?

POSITIVE NEGATIVE NO OPINION
United State Senate 47% 41% 12%
U.S. House of Representatives 47% 39% 14%
Pennsylvania Senate 44% 30% 26%
PA House of Representatives 44% 29% 27%

The Keystone Business Climate Survey was mailed on March 9, 1998 to 3,000 Pennsylvania-based businesses which employ 125 or more individuals.   As of the survey response deadline of March 27, 1998, 146 responses were received by the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.  The Keystone Business Climate Survey is a service mark of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. and is copyrighted.  Permission is granted for quotation of results of this survey so long as credit is given to the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc., 453 Springlake Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112.