Concerns about health-care costs and uncertainty about implementation of Obamacare may have held down growth projections in this years Economic Climate Study, presented Friday at an Economic Summit in Johnstown.

Health-care costs topped the list of legislative priorities among 126 area businesses participating in the study presented by Pitt-Johnstown associate professors John McGrath and Ron Vickroy during the Greater Johnstown-Cambria County Chamber of Commerce summit at the Pasquerilla Conference Center in Johnstown.

Employers are very, very concerned about this, Vickroy told the audience of several hundred business and government leaders.

Later, the audience heard keynote speaker Carolyn F. Scanlan, president and chief executive officer of the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

She updated the audience on what to expect from the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Questions about the act were added to the business survey in developing this years Economic Climate Study, McGrath said, noting that this is the 19th year that he and Vickroy have compiled the report from area businesses.

Describing the slides on the screen during his presentation, McGrath said the researchers used the color red to designate decreases from last years report.

You are going to see a lot of red today, McGrath said.

Only 28 percent of the businesses expect real growth in revenue next year, compared with 32 percent from last years report. The profit forecast was exactly the same as last year, with 24 percent of respondents expecting to increase profits.

Job growth is forecast to remain steady, with 38 percent of the companies adding workers. Last years report had 37 percent hiring.

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Business outlook mixed, health care a top concern at economic summit