Each quarter, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants surveys finance decision-makers in the United States about their outlook for the coming 12 months. The fourth-quarter results show that sentiment has dipped regarding the domestic and global economies. The decline is in part due to subsiding euphoria of the first quarter and tax law changes, though the overall outlook remains strong. Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, the Association's lead technical manager for management accounting, delves further into the results, focusing on hiring plans and the top challenges facing businesses.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• What CFOs, controllers, and others say about spending plans, profits, and labor shortages.
• The percentage of companies that plan to increase wages in the next year.
• The steps companies plan to take to recruit and retain workers.
• How hiring and expansion expectations differ by company size.

Play the episode below:

To comment on this podcast or to suggest an idea for another podcast, contact Neil Amato, a JofA senior editor, at Neil.Amato@aicpa-cima.com.