Prince William County, Va. — As politicians in Washington argue over the nation’s debt ceiling, business owners in Prince William County are watching the debate closely.
The Prince William Chamber of Commerce released results of an internal survey conducted noting that 94 percent of business owners polled say they are following the debate, but their survey showed division amongst business owners as some aren’t sure if the debt ceiling should be raised.
According to the survey, 18 percent of those polled said raising the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling limit could lead to further economic crisis, while 62 percent of the respondents say officials should raise the debt limit by the imposed Aug. 2 deadline.
Others were unsure if missing the deadline would actually have an impact on the country, according to the chamber.
Officials have warned that if the deadline is not met some government obligations, like social security and repayment of loans, may not be met.
“An overwhelming majority of respondents expressed that the current climate of uncertainty is stifling business investment and jobs creation,” said Prince William Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Andrea Whaley.
The survey comes at time when a new report states Virginia is actually loosing job gains made last year.
A quarter of jobs gained since February 2010 have now been lost, according to a report in the Washington Examiner.
Total employment in the state is down by more than 120,000 jobs when measured against pre-recession statistics, according to the report.
