West Michigan economy shifts from "flat" to "improving"
Brian Long GVSU
Patrick Center November 5, 2012 | WGVU
The most recent economic survey was conducted during the final two weeks of October. Brian Long who interviews business managers in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo says the majority of responses provide a snapshot of an improving economy. Surprisingly, the leading indicator for the region is the office furniture industry.
“This is the industry that sources indicated to us they thought that the industry as a whole would be down for the year and we’re pleasantly surprised that we are probably going to be up for the year.”
For all other industrial distributors Long calls their performances “mixed.” That’s not the case for the housing market, the Seidman College of Business professor says Kent County housing starts are up 32 percent from this same time last year with buyers taking advantage of low interest rates.
“We’re not building anywhere near the number of houses we were near the peak in 2005 and 2006 but we don’t want to build that many houses because that was the bubble that created the collapse that, of course, we’re all familiar with.
What business owners are all too familiar with at the moment is what’s called “taxmageddon.” Long explains they’re holding off on hiring until after the election when there’s more certainty. Expect that to take place at the start of the New Year.
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Jake Neher has more.
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