PricewaterhouseCoopers: Economic Optimism in Decline

Executives surveyed were more optimistic about the global economy than the domestic economy. Fifty-eight percent were optimistic about the global economy, falling from a recent high of 77 percent in the first quarter of 2006. Competition from foreign markets, however, is intense—38 percent cited it as a barrier to growth, making it the third-highest concern for industrial manufacturers.