Jobs and economy major concern for Mississippians - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Jobs and economy major concern for Mississippians

By Ashley Conroy

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) -- The Economic State of the State report published by the Mississippi Economic Council-Godwin Group found that jobs and the economy is at the forefront of Mississippians concerns.

The MEC held a press conference announcing the results on Tuesday at the state capitol.

The report states that two-thirds or around 62 percent of business leaders believe the nation's best results are yet to come.

Sixty-eight percent reported Mississippi's outlook improving in the next couple of years.

"Overall business leaders are feeling great about the rebounding economy," said MEC President and CEO Blake Wilson.

While business leaders are becoming more optimistic, the results found that the state's voting population remains uncertain.

Forty percent of Mississippi voters think the national economy is heading in the right direction, and about half or 50 percent expect to see positive results in Mississippi economy.

Overall, Wilson says the results of the survey show how Mississippians are feeling about their future.

"This is about how do we focus on the issues that matter," Wilson said. "This survey told us loud and clear, it's the jobs and the economy, and it's education and workforce preparedness."

President of Brown Bottling Group, Bill Brown says their business is on the upswing.

"Short-term what we're seeing is that people are ready to get out and spend some money on small ticket items, large ticket items," Brown said.

His company bottles and distributes Pepsi-Cola and Dr. Pepper products statewide. However, he says with six locations around the state, and 450 employees they're taking other areas slowly.

"The job numbers and unemployment are still a little scary for us," Brown said. "Adding more shifts on have been a little slower, so I think long-term we have to be a little bit more cautious."

The results also found that one-fourth of Mississippi businesses do expect to hire more employees a year from now.

To view the full survey findings results: www.mec.ms