UIS survey reveals growing positive expectations about the Sangamon County economy

A survey conducted by the University of Illinois Springfield Center for State Policy and Leadership, in partnership with The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, shows employers have growing positive expectations for their own business, their sector, and the overall Sangamon County economy. Expectations for the Sangamon County economy increased six points since Spring 2014.

The Fall 2014 Sangamon County Economic Outlook Survey studied local businesses and non-profits in order to gauge expectations across several economic indicators. The survey is based on the responses of 207 individuals representing various economic sectors including construction, manufacturing, retail, financial, and healthcare.

“In previous surveys, respondents’ expectations about their own business and sector have been more positive than for the Sangamon County economy overall,” said Ashley Kirzinger, director of the UIS Survey Research Office. “This continues to be true in the Fall 2014 survey, however, the difference in expectations is less.”

The Fall 2014 Sangamon County Economic Outlook Survey includes a section examining the assets and liabilities for doing business in Sangamon County. Respondents believe that “health care facilities and quality” is the greatest asset for doing business in Sangamon County while “total state taxes on business” is the greatest liability. The other top asset in Sangamon County is “proximity to colleges/universities/technical schools.”

Respondents were positive regarding all economic factors with the exception of contributions to non-profits in Sangamon County. While the Fall 2014 survey reports a slight improvement in expectations about contributions to nonprofits from the Spring 2014 survey, the overall expectation is still negative. In fact, this is the single item in the survey that has not rebounded since the recession in 2008.

The survey is sponsored by the University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor’s Office, the Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS and The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on the survey, contact Ashley Kirzinger, director of the UIS Survey Research Office, at 217/206-7956 or akirz2@uis.edu.