According to a new survey by the Association for Financial Professionals, most of its respondents overwhelmingly believe clear action must be taken on deficit reduction to accelerate economic growth in 2012, and more than half think that tax increases should not be taken off the table to achieve a deficit reduction agreement. The 2012 AFP Business Outlook Survey, released today, found that financial professionals believe the U.S. economy will continue to strengthen modestly in 2012, with a median expected growth rate of gross domestic product of 1.9%. Nevertheless, a two-thirds reject the need for additional fiscal stimulus. While the largest percentage of financial professionals since December 2006 are anticipating their organizations will add staff to their payrolls in 2012, they are expecting a relatively modest net gain in payrolls of only 1.1 million for the entire U.S. economy. The report, underwritten by SunTrust, is based on 741 survey responses from U.S. financial professionals holding a variety of positions, including CFO, vice president of finance, treasurer and assistant treasurer. The typical respondent is employed by an organization with annual revenue of $1.5 billion. Forty-eight percent of respondents work for a publicly traded organization. You can see the full report or a synopsis at the AFP website here.
Today’s poll question: Do you believe the U.S. deficit can be brought under control without tax hikes?
