Most small businesses don

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The survey found that 90 percent plan to cutbusinesws expenses, and 23 percent expect they will lay off employeeas during the next six months. Only 26 perceny expect sales toincrease — half the percentage who expected sales gains a year ago. Nearlhy half expect profits will decreasr in thenear term. “These findingse support PNC’s forecast that the U.S. economt will continue to suffer into the secondx half ofthe year,” said PNC Chiefg Economist Stuart Hoffman. It will be 2010 beforwe the economygets “real traction from the variousd federal policy stimulus initiatives,” Hoffman said. If the recession continues over the nextsix months, 43 percentr of U.S.
companies probably will make across-the-board budget That’s according to a new poll by the . The next most likel step would be to reduce stafrthrough attrition, while 40 percent of humanb resource executives said hiring freezes wouldc be put into place. Freezing employee wages was next, followed by cuts in employew bonuses. Only 24 percent expect layoffs. Layoffa “are becoming more of a last option that many businessa leaderswould take,” said SHRM Presideng and CEO Laurence O’Neil. “This finding underscores the seriousness of the recessio n as many companies find they cannotg survive without some degreeof layoffs.
” More than 70 percent of the CEOs of America’e largest companies expect to reducer employment at their businesses over the next six according to a survey by the Businessx Roundtable. Two-thirds expect a decline in sales andcapital spending. The wantd help from the public, including small on developing a plan to ensure that all American have access to The economic stimulus legislation directed the FCC to presen t the plan to Congresxby Feb. 17, 2010, a year afte the bill was signedinto law.
The FCC is solicitinbg comments on the best ways to ensure universalbroadbansd access, strategies for makingv it affordable, evaluating the progress of broadbandd grant programs and how to use broadbanrd to advance public policy goals. Comments may be filed electronicallhyat www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs or at The stimulus bill included $7.2 billionb for grants and loans to increase broadband access in unservef and underserved areas. The programs will be administered by the andthe ’s rural development program. The plans to spenr $285 million for 17,600 fuel-efficient vehicles, includingv 2,500 hybrid sedans, by June 1.
Money for these purchases, as well as $15 million for advance d technology vehicles suchas all-electric vehicles, will come from fundd appropriated in the economic stimulus package. GSA will use existing contractswwith , and for thesre orders. President Barack Obama said these purchases are “part of our commitment to the American auto industry” and he was GSA “moved swiftly to accelerater this purchase.” The distributed $197 million in economic stimulus funds to statezs and Indian reservations for use in cleaning up underground storage tank petroleu leaks. These leaks could seep into soil and contaminaterground water, which is a major source of drinking water.
EPA estimates abou t 1,600 sites will be cleaned up as a resultf ofthe funding. “EPA is putting people to work by serving our core mission of protecting humanj health andthe environment,” said EPA Administrator Lisa