A change in optimism about the US economy

The potential for less regulation is one factor driving optimism among CPA decision-makers in a quarterly survey, according to Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA associate director–Management Accounting Research and Development. Witt joined the JofA podcast to discuss fourth-quarter results of the Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey — statistics that were dramatically different from the third quarter. The executives are mostly optimistic about the domestic economy in 2025. They also have a brighter outlook as it relates to their own organizations, although that increase since the third quarter was more muted. What you'll learn from this episode: A breakdown of the quarter-over-quarter change in optimism. What challenge returned to its familiar top spot in this quarter's survey. The reasons that optimists and pessimists feel the way they do, according to Witt's analysis. The hiring outlook for 2025.