Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report Vol. 20 No. 2, King Banaian, Richard A. Macdonald

St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report

Despite heightened uncertainty from recent retail store closings, looming na­tional tariff policies and the future clo­sure of Electrolux, area firms continue to report strong optimism about future business activity. Area firms reported continuing difficulty attracting qualified workers, which appears to be restraining local employment growth. Local employ­ment grew at a tepid 0.4 percent rate over the year ending April 2018 as worker shortages limit firms' growth poten­tial. The manufacturing, education/health, wholesale trade, and transportation/warehousing/utilities sectors led local job growth, while the retail trade, mining/logging/construction, and leisure/hospitality sectors' employ­ment contracted.

A new St. Cloud Index of Leading Economic Indicators is unveiled …