Hartford Business Journal

19 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 13, 2021 By Zachary Vasile zvasile@hartfordbusiness.com W hen the Hartford Business Journal talked with Chris DiPentima, CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, at the start of this year, the former aerospace manufacturing executive spoke with guarded optimism about the state's economic prospects after a pandemic-marred 2020. Businesses had endured a brutal winter, but there was hope that vaccines, then just being administered to the most at-risk Americans, would turn the tide and gradually facilitate a return to normalcy. In the months since, Connecticut has made considerable strides in beating back the pandemic, and CBIA, through its lobbying efforts, helped derail a number of legislative proposals the group viewed as threatening to the private sector. But new challenges have emerged, especially in the form of a crippling worker shortage that, while not limited to Connecticut, is all the more worrying here because of the state's higher-than-average unemployment rate. In all, DiPentima said, CBIA will soon close out a productive 2021 but remains highly concerned with the labor crisis and the state's persistently high cost of doing business. "There's always more work to be done," he said of the organization's legislative efforts. "I wouldn't give it an 'A,' but [the 2021 legislative session] went well. We played a lot of defense but also played a bit more offense, which is something we're looking to do more of." More positive outlook DiPentima said CBIA helped defeat around 80 measures that would have had a negative impact on Connecticut businesses. The group was also heartened by Gov. Ned Lamont's pledge not to raise taxes, and by the governor's generally more pro-business posture compared to some of his predecessors. DiPentima, who was a member of Lamont's vaccination committee, also praised the administration for its handling of vaccine distribution, which was initially supposed to factor in the needs of various occupations, but was later revised to center on age and vulnerability. "There was still some confusion back then," he said. "But overall the businesses were happy to be taken out of it. We were also one of the first states to reopen and we have one of the highest vaccination rates. So we have a lot of applause for the way it was handled." In general, CBIA membership has a more positive outlook on the state's fortunes than it did one year ago. According to an annual survey of top executives conducted by CBIA and accounting and advisory firm Marcum LLP, 39% of respondents expect the state's economy to grow in the next 12 months, up from just 12% during 2020, while 40% think it will remain static and only 21% expect a slowdown. Still, DiPentima was quick to put those figures in perspective. "The bar was very low," he said. DiPentima sees discouraging signals coming from the legislature's Labor and Public Employees Committee, which he called one of the biggest "impediments to doing business" in Connecticut due to their support for a slew of workplace mandates and regulations during the 2021 session. Over CBIA objections, the General Assembly passed a rule requiring certain employers to recall workers dismissed during the height of the coronavirus pandemic by order of seniority, if they are willing to return. "It's bringing union-like rules into the private sector," DiPentima said. "It's just onerous. It's forcing businesses to spend more and more time and effort on fulfilling these mandates." Addressing the worker shortage More pressing for now, however, is the labor shortage, which is devastating a wide cross section of businesses, especially retailers and restaurants, some of which have limited their hours of operation or shut down in response. "We're ringing the bell here," DiPentima said. "We all know it's the major factor holding us back." DiPentima said CBIA wants to work with lawmakers, the Lamont administration, industry groups and other stakeholders to develop a response to the problem. That could include a survey of the unemployed to determine why they have not yet returned to work, additional resources to steer those looking for a job toward open roles, more publicity for the state's existing workforce development programs and stepped up job-search requirements for receiving unemployment benefits, he said As for the next legislative session, DiPentima said CBIA will stick to core priorities, including improving the state's affordability and reducing taxes. He also wants to see the state continue to pay down long-term liabilities, a positive development under the Lamont administration now that Connecticut is projecting a sizable budget surplus. DiPentima also wants to continue and strengthen CBIA's emphasis on collaboration with state government, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, unions, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and industry groups, such as the Connecticut Restaurant Association, in advancing its agenda. "I hope that never stops," he said. "Connecticut will not unlock its full economic potential until we're all talking to each other and working together. DiPentima: Biz community more optimistic as '21 comes to close, but much work remains ahead Chris DiPentima CEO Connecticut Business & Industry Association Education: Bachelor's degree, Boston College; law degree, Quinnipiac University School of Law Age: 50 Chris DiPentima stands outside the state Capitol, where the CBIA lobbies lawmakers on a range of business issues. HBJ FILE PHOTO 5 WE WATCHED IN 2021

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