Briefs: CPAs not so rosy on future of economy

It's never encouraging when the number crunchers on the front line start saying things look bad.

By Times Staff
Published February 24, 2008

CPAs not so rosy on future of economy

It's never encouraging when the number crunchers on the front line start saying things look bad. Expectations for the U.S. economy turned sharply negative among senior-level executive CPAs as the outlook for finance, real estate and retail trade declined in the first quarter. That's according to the latest Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. It was the first time since the accountants' survey began in December 2005 that pessimists outnumbered optimists (by nearly a 5-1 ratio). At least the CPAs felt good about their companies, with 46 percent saying they were optimistic or very optimistic about their organization's economic prospects over the next 12 months.

Job Corps Center to offer training

More job-training opportunities are on the way. The site of the latest Pinellas County Job Corps Center was officially celebrated last week. When finished in the summer of 2009, the $40-million facility will include nine buildings on a 16-acre campus, which can serve about 300 students who will get education and training in fields such as health care, construction, automotive and machine repair and information technology. The center will be at Fifth Avenue S and 22nd Street S in St. Petersburg.

Tuesday is the day to get stuff done

You probably felt this, but a national poll makes it sound more official. Tuesday is the most-productive day of the week for employees, say 57 percent of respondents in a recent Accountemps poll of 150 senior executives. Monday was the second-most-popular answer, though only 12 percent said that was the most-productive day, down from 26 percent in 2002. And a we-don't-care-about-the-weekends 3 percent said Friday was most productive.

[Last modified February 22, 2008, 20:56:08]