Small and midsize Atlanta business owners expect relatively modest gains in hiring and take a cautious view on their near-term sales and profits, according to a new survey from PNC.
One in six businesses here plans to add new full-time workers in the next six months, according to the biannual survey done by the bank.
That compares to one in five businesses that plan to do so nationwide.
Nationally, 38 percent of employers also expect to increase employee compensation. That’s the highest number in six years. Only 24 percent of Atlanta employers surveyed expect to do so, although that’s up from 18 percent in the spring.
Among business owners in Atlanta:
_ 82 percent are optimistic about their company’s prospects over the next six months, down from 89 percent in the spring.
_ 38 percent said the bad weather earlier this year hurt their business, and two-thirds of those affected said they have yet to fully recover.
_ 17 percent plan to add full-time workers, compared to just 12 percent in the spring.
_ 69 percent don’t expect the Affordable Care Act to have an impact on their business in the next six months. Of those who think they will be affected, though, the vast majority figure the effect will be negative.
_ 60 percent expect home prices locally to rise in the coming year, up from 53 percent in the spring.
