That’s according to a local economic expert who shared details of his economic forecast for the Lehigh Valley Business Real Estate & Development Symposium on Thursday at DeSales University.

The nation’s low unemployment rates will contribute to a continued skilled labor shortage for employers, according to panelists at Lehigh Valley Business’ Outlook 2020. Outlook 2020, held Dec. 11 at Blue Grillhouse in Bethlehem Township, brought together leaders from multiple industries to speak on the forecast for business for the upcoming year.

Home prices are up and number of days a home is on the market is down in Berks County. Read more about what happening in Berks County real estate from the experts who were at the LVB Berks County Real Estate & Development Symposium 2019 here.

Local economist Kamran Afshar said an October survey of businesses in the Lehigh Valley revealed signs of slower growth across several key areas, based on business projections for hiring, purchasing, and revenue figures for the next six months, as compared to the previous six months.

A poll of 220 Lehigh Valley businesses offered local insights into business projections, such as purchases, hiring and revenues for the next six months, and compared them with data from the prior six months.