FALL 1998 BUSINESS CLIMATE SURVEY
1.) It has been approximately two years since a number of reforms were made to Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation system. How helpful have those changes been when it comes to improving the competitive position of your business?
VERY HELPFUL – 27%
SOMEWHAT HELPFUL – 53%
NO EFFECT – 18%
SOMEWHAT UNHELPFUL – 1%
VERY UNHELPFUL – 1%
2.) Did the 1996 reforms to Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation system result in your business hiring additional employees?
YES – 29%
NO – 71%
3.) Did the 1996 reforms to Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation system result in your corporation expanding operations in Pennsylvania or moving operations to Pennsylvania from other states?
YES – 19%
NO – 81%
4.) Did the 1996 reforms to Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation system cause you to delay or cancel plans to move operations to other states?
YES – 11%
NO – 34%
NO PLANS – 55%
5.) Do you think further reforms of Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation system are needed?
YES – 70%
NO – 11%
NO OPINION – 19%
6.) Do you favor so-called “Paycheck Protection” legislation that would forbid unions from automatically deducting money from unionized workers paychecks, without their permission, then using that money for political purposes?
YES – 91%
NO – 5%
NO OPINION – 4%
7.) Do you favor or oppose the expenditure of state tax dollars to help fund construction of new stadiums for the Steelers and the Pirates in Pittsburgh and for the Eagles and Phillies in Philadephia?
STRONGLY FAVOR – 9%
SOMEWHAT FAVOR – 17%
UNDECIDED – 10%
SOMEWHAT OPPOSE – 21%
STRONGLY OPPOSE – 43%
8.) Do you think voters in Pennsylvania should have the opportunity to approve or disapprove of funding the construction of new sports stadiums with state tax dollars in a statewide referendum?
YES – 77%
NO – 18%
NO OPINION – 5%
9.) Do you think the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should sell off the state liquor stores to private business and use a portion of the proceeds to help fund the construction of new sports stadiums?
YES – 53%
NO – 42%
NO OPINION – 5%
10.) County Information
11.) Business Information
12.) In general, do you think business conditions in Pennsylvania are better, the same or worse than six months ago?
BETTER – 44%
SAME – 46%
WORSE – 9%
NO OPINION – 1%
13.) Looking ahead six months, do you think business conditions will be better, the same, or worse than they are now?
BETTER – 18%
SAME – 55%
WORSE – 23%
NO OPINION – 4%
14.) Are employment levels at your company higher, the same or lower than they were six months ago?
HIGHER – 54%
SAME – 36%
LOWER – 10%
NO OPINION – 0%
15.) Looking ahead six months, do you anticipate that employment levels at your company will go up, stay the same, or drop?
HIGHER – 29%
SAME – 57%
LOWER – 14%
NO OPINION – 0%
16.) Have your company’s sales increased, stayed relatively the same or decreased during the past six months?
INCREASED – 55%
SAME – 33%
DECREASED – 12%
17.) Do you expect your company’s sales to increase, stay relatively the same or decrease during the coming six months?
INCREASE – 48%
SAME – 40%
DECREASE – 12%
18.) At any point in the past six months has your company considered moving all or part of its Pennsylvania operations to another state?
DID MOVE SOME OPERATIONS – 2%
CONSIDERED MOVING SOME OPERATIONS – 15%
CONSIDERED MOVING ALL OPERATIONS – 3%
MOVED OPERATIONS INTO PENNSYLVANIA – 1%
DIDN’T CONSIDER ANY MOVES – 79%
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?
MAY MOVE ALL OPERATIONS – 1%
MAY MOVE SOME OPERATIONS – 15%
NOT CONSIDERING ANY MOVES – 82%
MAY MOVE INTO PENNSYLVANIA – 2%
20.) In general, do you have a positive, negative or no opinion of the job performance of the following individuals?
POSITIVE | NEGATIVE | NO OPINION | |
President Bill Clinton | 15% | 80% | 5% |
Federal Reserve Board | |||
Chairman Alan Greenspan | 87% | 4% | 9% |
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter | 51% | 24% | 25% |
U.S. Senator Rick Santorum | 68% | 12% | 20% |
Governor Tom Ridge | 90% | 7% | 3% |
21.) In general, do you have a positive, negative or no opinion of the job performance of the following institutions?
POSITIVE | NEGATIVE | NO OPINION | |
The United States Senate | 46% | 34% | 20% |
The U.S. House of Representatives | 41% | 40% | 19% |
The Pennsylvania Senate | 56% | 19% | 25% |
The PA House of Representatives | 52% | 22% | 26% |