BEACON Releases Latest Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey Results
By SU Public Relations
SALISBURY, MD---Eastern Shore business owners and managers are less optimistic about the economic future than they were six months ago.
This trend is among the findings of the latest Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey conducted through a partnership with 石榴视频’s Business Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON), SU’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC), and many of the region’s economic and workforce development professionals.
The January 2025 results represent the eighth report released by BEACON. The first survey in the series was conducted in June 2021, with subsequent six-month follow-ups.
The survey included more than 50 questions, asking business leaders to weigh in on a range of topics, from general business concerns to conditions in their own industries. Respondents evaluated business conditions locally, regionally, in the state and nationwide for the coming year. They also shared views related to their specific industries and on issues from labor supply to regulations.
Results include:
• The 12-month outlook for business conditions in participants’ respective counties is significantly worse than in July 2024. When asked to predict the business conditions in their counties and the Eastern Shore, 40% responded that they believe economic conditions will improve, compared to 66% in July 2024. On a