What’s Important to Maine Employers
A
Research-Based Compilation
Of
Three Statistically Significant Studies
Based
on the
MAINE
ECONOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE’s
senior management SurveY
Prepared
By:
Ed
McLaughlin & Glen Foss
Maine
Economic Research Institute
March 2007
THE
REPORT:
This report represents the results of three comprehensive surveys completed by Market Research Insight of Maine Senior Management officials between 1999 and 2005. These surveys provide insight into the opinions of key business decision-makers in Maine. Each study represents the views of more than 500 business leaders and each study provides a statistical error factor of less than 4.5% at the .95 level of confidence. The full reports are available at www.fixmaine.com
THE
BOTTOM-LINE:
Establishing
Priorities for Strengthening Maine’s Economy
The following
questions examined how Maine can deal with retaining Maine businesses and the
jobs they represent, and attracting new business and industry to the state.
The question read: “How can State policies change to help create an
environment that enhances the competitive position of Maine companies while
maintaining Maine’s quality of life? Please
indicate your top 3 recommendations for how State policies can help
attract new business and industry and help strengthen current businesses.” NOTE:
Table displays total results for question combining up to three
recommendations received by each respondent.
|
HOW STATE POLICIES CAN HELP ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS |
|||
|
|
1999 |
2002 |
2005 |
|
Tax
Relief |
57% |
43% |
44% |
|
Less
Government |
11 |
6 |
22 |
|
Ease
Regulations |
26 |
8 |
15 |
|
Control
Healthcare Costs |
NA |
15 |
10 |
|
Improve
Infrastructure/Transportation |
21 |
10 |
9 |
|
Increase
Incentives |
13 |
10 |
9 |
|
Control
Insurance Costs |
NA |
5 |
9 |
|
Stable/Consistent
Policies |
10 |
4 |
9 |
|
Fix
Workman’s Compensation |
8 |
19 |
8 |
|
Be
Pro-Business |
13 |
5 |
8 |
|
Expand
Economic Development |
10 |
2 |
7 |
|
Improve
Education |
28 |
11 |
6 |
|
Diversify/Bring
in New Industries |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
Less
Environmental Control |
NA |
3 |
4 |
|
Lower
Business Expenses |
12 |
1 |
4 |
|
Help
Small Business |
NA |
3 |
4 |
|
Promote
the State |
12 |
4 |
3 |
|
Put
Existing Business First |
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
More/Promote
Environmentally Friendly Industry |
NA |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|||
|
Other |
13% |
1% |
1% |
|
Uncertain/Don’t
Know |
NA |
29 |
28 |
Question
read: “What do you consider the top 3 roadblocks to
improving Maine’s business environment?”
|
ROADBLOCKS TO IMPROVING MAINE’S BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT |
||
|
|
2005 |
2002 |
|
Taxation |
37% |
24% |
|
Lack
of Political Leadership |
16 |
3 |
|
Anti-Business
Legislature/Government |
15 |
13 |
|
Government
Regulations/Mandates |
11 |
5 |
|
Worker
Comp Costs |
9 |
10 |
|
Insurance
Costs |
8 |
5 |
|
Local
Governments |
8 |
1 |
|
Healthcare
Costs |
7 |
9 |
|
Lack
of Qualified Labor |
7 |
5 |
|
Special
Interests/Unions |
7 |
5 |
|
Lack
of Foresight/Planning |
7 |
3 |
|
Inexperienced
Legislators |
6 |
8 |
|
Environmental
Regulations |
6 |
3 |
|
Cost
of Business |
6 |
2 |
|
Politics |
5 |
5 |
|
High
Utility Costs |
5 |
4 |
|
Cost
of Living/Quality of Life |
5 |
3 |
|
Infrastructure/East-West
Highway |
4 |
6 |
|
Transportation
Costs |
4 |
4 |
|
Size
of Government |
4 |
3 |
|
Schools/Education |
3 |
5 |
|
Location |
3 |
4 |
|
Population
Resistance to Change |
3 |
3 |
|
Competitors/Canada |
2 |
3 |
|
Lack
of Capital/Banks |
2 |
1 |
|
Retaining
Employees |
2 |
1 |
|
Perception
of Maine |
2 |
1 |
|
Population
Distribution |
1 |
2 |
|
Unemployment
Compensation Too High |
1 |
2 |
|
|
||
|
Other |
1% |
3% |
|
Uncertain/Don’t
Know |
23 |
24 |
Executive
Summary
Market Research
Insight assisted Maine Economic Research Institute with three separate surveys
of Maine’s senior business officials. Each
of the Senior Management Surveys had more than 500 business leader
participants providing a sampling error factor of below 4.5% at a .95 level of
confidence for each study. While each study provided unique insights, the
comparisons between the surveys are made only for key issues in this report.
The full reports are available at www.fixmaine.com.
Dr. Verne Kennedy, MRI President
and Senior Analyst, served as Project Director for all studies.
Survey
participants had considerable diversity in business industry classification
and size base on number of employees. The studies are representative of Maine
business as a whole and reflect what is important to small, often
family-owned, Maine businesses.
|
NUMBER OF MAINE EMPLOYEES |
|||
|
|
1999 |
2002 |
2005 |
|
5
Employees or Less |
21% |
15% |
14% |
|
6
- 20 Employees |
23 |
28 |
28 |
|
21
- 50 Employees |
18 |
23 |
|