KAA, January 24, 2012
We survey Lehigh Valley businesses on a quarterly basis, and collect around 700 observations per year. The Employment and Purchasing Index for the Lehigh Valley shows the results of these surveys. In January 2011 we conducted our 48th survey of this series.
Local businesses grow sharply optimistic during the first few months of 2011. That optimism faded away by the summer of 2011. However, in the last two observations, October 2011 and January 2012, the index has risen positively twice in a row.
Our survey of Lehigh Valley businesses indicated that they are continuing to hire more people than they have been laying off in the last six months. An average participant in our survey has gained 0.6 employees in the last six months. While this is not yet at the pre-recession hiring level, it is a far cry from 2009 when an average survey participant lost 0.8 employees.