ECONOMIC OUTLOOK SURVEY | JANUARY 8, 2024 3
SURVEY
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
THE 9TH ANNUAL
Survey: HBJ readers more optimistic about 2024
W
ill the Fed lower interest rates in
2024? Is there still a threat of reces-
sion? Will the labor shortage ease?
Those are some of the major economic ques-
tions as we start the new year.
Hartford Business Journal readers are more
optimistic about 2024 than they were a year ago.
In fact, 43.6% of HBJ readers say Connecti-
cut's economy will improve significantly or
slightly this year. A year ago, 36.45% of
readers predicted the economy would improve
in 2023.
Meanwhile, 28.4% of readers expect the
state's economy to decline in 2024, while 28%
expect no growth.
Those were some of the findings from Hart-
ford Business Journal's 2024 reader economic
outlook survey, the results of which are
featured in this special pullout section.
The survey, sponsored by NBT Bank, was
emailed to more than 12,000 HBJ Today
subscribers. The unscientific results were gath-
ered over a three-week period in November
and early December, garnering nearly
300 responses.
Of those surveyed, 80% said they work at
privately-held companies and 57.8% said their
business has fewer than 50 employees.
The results provide a window into how the
state's economy may perform in 2024.
We hope you find the survey results informa-
tive, and we wish you good luck and health in
the year ahead.
Greg Bordonaro
Editor
Hartford Business Journal
Tel: (860) 236-9998 | Fax: (860) 570-2493
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Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com
Tom Curtin | President, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com
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